Kisumu County Commissioner Hussein Allasow has called upon all members of the public to join civil servants and stakeholders to support the National Tree Planting Day scheduled for Monday to facilitate the realization of the government’s agenda to plant at least 15 billion trees by the year 2032.
The government declared Monday, November 13, to be a public holiday for a nationwide tree-planting exercise to motivate the public to plant trees and promote environmental conservation.
During a meeting with various County heads of department Thursday, Hussein urged the officials to work in collaboration and take an active role in the tree planting initiatives to achieve the County’s target of growing 4.3 million tree seedlings during the short rains period.
He noted that the target will be cascaded downwards to the sub-location level to ensure community involvement and ownership in the environment conservation program.
The county Commissioner informed that through a partnership with various state and non-state agencies, the team has so far managed to mobilize over 100,000 tree seedlings earmarked for planting at over 5 suitable sites within the County on Monday.
“I call upon all staff under the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies as well as the private sector, Civil Society Organizations, parastatals, and the public to swing into action towards a collective approach in the environmental conservation campaign to tackle the crisis of climate change,” pleaded Hussein.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria will officiate and oversee the aggressive tree-planting campaign in Kisumu County on Monday.
The seedlings would be planted at the Kisumu National Polytechnic, Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology (RIAT), Kajulu Hills, Koguta Forest, Muhoroni and Kodiaga Medium Prison.
Speaking at the same meeting, Kisumu Assistant Conservator, Mr. Martin Ombogo noted that the County has a monthly capacity of producing over 3 million plantable seedlings meant for various purposes including aesthetics, boundaries, conservation, hilltops and fruit trees.
He stressed the need for various environmental players and the public to tap on this potential to mobilize all the available tree seedlings to be planted towards attaining the County’s target.
Ombogo further urged the stakeholders and individuals to record and report all the tree seedlings planted to help in monitoring and guiding the state of the County’s reforestation efforts.
By Robert Ojwang’
