The Principal Secretary (PS) in the State Department for Parliamentary Affairs within the Prime Cabinet Secretary’s Office, Ms. Aurelia Rono has called on multi- sectoral approach to the tree growing activities in order to achieve a 30% forest cover by 2032.
Speaking during a tree planting exercise by the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary at Chuka Forest station, the PS disclosed that the office was not only committed towards the planting of tress, but also their growing and nurturing to maturity.
“We shall be working with the County Commissioners, Kenya Forest Service and relevant stakeholders to ensure we get 100 percent survival chances for the trees. We will use the regular visits assigned to us by the Ministry of Environment to check on the progress planted trees and add more to ensure our forests are recovered,” Ms. Rono asserted.
The PS urged members of the public and stakeholders including the County Government and the National Government to embrace the 15 billion tree initiative by President William Ruto as a way of ensuring restoration of national ecosystems and the nation’s landscape.
“We want to have 30% tree cover by 2032. At the moment we are at 12% nationally, and at 26.98 % in Tharaka Nithi County, which is commendable,” she said.
PS Rono revealed that towards the achievement of 15 billion trees, the Office of Prime Cabinet Secretary has planted 16,000 trees in forests around the county, and has donated 2,000 fruit trees to residents.
“The forests have really suffered a great deal over the years. They have been razed down and cut down to create spaces for grazing and settlements among other reasons and that’s why the landscape has really changed in the world, causing the changes in climate and environment,” the PS stated.
In his remarks during the exercise, Tharaka Nithi County Commissioner, David Gitonga said the government in collaboration with the Kenya Forest Service and 58 groups in the county has produced 1.6 million tree seedlings so far.
The County Commissioner noted that the devolved unit was on course to attain their target.
“We have a target of planting 137 million trees in the next 10 years in line with the government’s target of 15b trees. That translates to 13 million trees every year,” said Mr. Gitonga.
The Cabinet’s decision to assign each Cabinet Secretary specific degraded sites for full restoration has been termed as a demonstration of the Government’s deep commitment to climate action.
By David Mutwiri and Blaise Gitonga
