The Equity Bank has this planting season planted 1.8 million trees across the country in partnership with county governments and educational institutions.
The Managing Director of Equity Bank Kenya Polycarp Igathe says the nationwide cause is meant to conserve the environment.
Picture by Hussein Abdullahi
Speaking in Mombasa on Saturday Igathe said the tree planting campaign is part of the bank’s ambition to help reduce the impact of climate change across the country.
Accompanied by Mombasa Deputy Governor Dr. William Kingi, Igathe said the bank is partnering with the devolved units and institutions of learning to reach wide areas.
The two led a team of community volunteers in planting 2,000 indigenous tree seedlings in Kisauni sub county of Mombasa.
“We hope the partnerships will significantly help towards the reforestation efforts in the country” he said, adding that trees help nature to thrive.
Igathe said the partnership with the Mombasa county government will see 300,000 trees planted in a year across the coastal city.
Dr. Kingi thanked the Bank for the tree planting initiative saying it will go a long way in helping the country achieve the UN recommended 10 percent tree cover.
He said the devolved unit welcomes more partners as it seeks to plant one million trees per year, noting that the partnership with Equity Bank will make a ‘significant contribution towards this target.’
The Deputy Governor said trees help in absorbing carbon from the atmosphere besides protecting the earth from flooding.
He said the national government is pursuing an ambitious project aimed at increasing the country’s forest cover from the current seven percent to fifteen percent by the year 2022.
Dr. Kingi said the country will not attain the projected 10 per cent tree cover if Kenyans do not embrace the culture of planting trees.
By Hussein Abdullahi
