MaMa Doing Good in partnership with Kenya Forest Service (KFS) plans to plant 500 million trees across the Country by 2032 to increase tree cover by 30 percent and protect water catchment areas.
According to an official from the Organisation Arnold Kipchumba, the move is meant to compliment government efforts of planting 15 billion trees adding that so far, they have planted over 3 million trees in forests and learning institutions.
Speaking at Kimondi forest during a tree planting exercise, Kipchumba stated that forests play a key role in the Kenyan economy providing a substantial source of employment and economic growth as well as contributing to climate risk reduction.
He said there is need to reverse forest degradation and deforestation in line with global, continental and national goals on landscape and ecosystem restoration.
“The office has adopted different strategies to achieve this ambitious commitment. These include forest adoption, promoting establishment of women and youth led tree nurseries, promoting tree growing through agro forest for improved livelihoods and growing of forests and fruit trees within institutions and schools among others,” he said
Nandi County Forest conservator Dennis Kerengo noted that the county tree cover is still low adding that to achieve 40% tree cover, residents should embark on tree planting on their lands.
“Our responsibility as Kenya Forest Service is to ensure we plant 17 million tree seedlings and grow so that we increase our tree cover from 26 percent to 40 percent. As a county we have achieved 10 percent tree cover but the big task is to achieve the 30% as envisaged by our president,” he said
He warned those individuals who will be found illegally cutting trees in the forest that they will bear the burden of paying a fine of Sh50,000 or six months’ imprisonment or both.
Kerengo challenged locals to plant indigenous trees that are environmental friendly along reparian land and remove eucalyptus trees which draw a lot of water and lower water levels.
Chesumei Assistant County Commissioner Benson Kamau disclosed that one thousand trees were planted during the exercise adding that Nandi County is expected to plant over 174 million tree seedlings in those 10 years
By Linet Wafula
