Kisii county government in collaboration with various partners have planted over 7,000 trees to commemorate the World Environment Day 2024.
Under the theme dubbed “Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience” the county planted the trees in Marani Sub County as a way of preventing soil erosion and landslide risks that have recently been witnessed in the region.
Speaking at the event, the County Executive Committee Member for Environment, Leah Ogega said they had planted the trees in various schools and other areas over the last three days as a way of restoring the land in the sub county.
Ms. Ogega urged the residents to plant indigenous trees and avoid planting eucalyptus along the water catchment areas since it drains a lot of water.
She added the county is planning to close the mining quarries, particularly in Tabaka ward in South Mugirango Constituency and plant trees to restore the land back to its normal state.
“We will work with the contractors at the mining sites in restoring the land and ensure our people are compensated once the quarries are closed,” said the CEC.
On waste management, Ogega said the county is committed to managing waste by collecting and disposing the waste to segregated areas for recycling purposes as a way of protecting the environment.
Kisii County Forest Conservator, Safari Opiyo noted they had successfully planted over 700 fruit trees such as avocado, pawpaw and mango in various schools to mark the day.
Opiyo noted they had also distributed tree seedlings to farmers in the area for planting and encouraged them to ensure the trees grow.
On his part, the Chief Officer for Environment Cleophas Okioi noted the county had conducted soil tests and will be sensitizing the residents on the activities they can carry out to prevent soil from losing its fertility.
“We are collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and have set aside approximately Sh. 20 million to neutralize the soil to improve productivity,” Okioi said.
In addition, he pointed out that the county is setting up various tree nurseries in every ward and through the support of the National Treasury and World Bank, the county is aiming to plant 7 million trees by 2032.
The partners who contributed to the tree planting exercise include the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), Aga Khan Hospital, USAID Western Kenya Water Project, Kenya Red Cross and Rain Forest Alliance among others.
By Linet Akinyi and Kevin Wanyama
