Meru County Assembly majority leader, Victor Karithi has challenged his colleague MCAs to spearhead tree planting programmes in their areas of representation during the ongoing rains.
Speaking during a tree planting exercise in his Athwana Ward in Tigania West Sub-county yesterday, Karithi said increasing the forest cover to enhance food and public health security had become an inevitable task for all citizens.
He attributed the prevailing global warming to uncontrolled destruction of the forest cover and other vegetation around the world for human needs satisfaction, saying the consequences were being experienced by everybody regardless of age or socio-economic status.
He commended Athwana residents for embracing the culture of continuously planting indigenous and exotic, ornamental and fruit trees in their farms and communal land in the area.
The MCA said jointly with the Meru forest department, they had planted over 10,000 tree seedlings in Mukuani Forest so far.
“We are committed to liaising with the relevant national and county government departments in identifying all sacred and gazetted forest areas in our wards for continuous conservation and protection for posterity,” Karithi said.
Karithi said tree planting activities had been successfully introduced and entrenched in all learning institutions in the area, saying there was visible evidence of well managed and protected indigenous and exotic trees in most of the schools and chiefs and assistant chiefs’ offices.
He further commended some schools for taking a step further towards environmental conservation by establishing tree nurseries for learning purposes and financial benefits. “Such gestures not only conserve environment but also cushion the institutions against financial challenges,” he remarked.
By Makaa Margaret
