The Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy will forge partnerships with stakeholders in environmental conservation to deliver on its commitment to plant 10 million trees this year.
State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications (BT) Senior Deputy Secretary-Administration, Mr. Hezron Nyamberi, said staff from the BT and ICT departments would team up with community members in the counties under the guidance of Kenya Forest Service personnel to execute the task of greening various sites allotted to the Ministry for afforestation.
Speaking Tuesday during a tree planting exercise jointly undertaken by staff from the Ministry and respective allied agencies who collaborated with KDF personnel from Moi Air Base Eastleigh to plant 10,000 trees at Konza Technopolis Development Authority in Machakos, Nyamberi said the two departments in the Ministry have each been apportioned to plant five million trees by the end of November this year.
He said the Ministry was assigned by the National Tree Planting Committee the task of amplifying the tree cover in Kisii and Nandi counties, adding that 25,000 trees would be planted at Nyanturago Swamp in Kisii.
In Nandi County, Nyamberi said staff from the department are set to plant 485,000 trees in Kimondi Forest beginning next week, while another batch of 480,000 trees will be planted in Kobujoi Forest and 10,000 at Kingw’al Swamp.
The Senior Deputy Secretary further divulged that to date, the State Department for BT, in conjunction with Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs), have planted about 200,000 trees on diverse parcels in the counties and added that the ICT and Digital Economy department has planted another 27,000 trees on different sites.
He lauded KDF for partnering with the Ministry in the tree planting exercise at Konza, where military personnel assisted in digging the 10,000 holes to ease the task of planting tree seedlings by employees of the Ministry.
Nyamberi pitched for continued collaboration between KDF and the Ministry in other planned tree growing assignments, reiterating that the Ministry would be glad to leverage on the renowned proficiency of KDF personnel in undertaking various civil works to enhance the afforestation exercise.
Konza Technopolis Development Authority Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Paul Okwiri said they have so far planted 60,000 trees at the fabled Silicon Savannah and further distributed 100,000 more tree seedlings to the community neighbouring the facility for planting. He added that every Friday is dedicated to tree planting at Konza.
The Commanding Officer, Technical Maintenance Unit at Moi Air Base, Lt. Col. Michael Gakumo, lauded the joint effort that served to augment the national tree-growing exercise and added that environmental conservation is part of their mandate in contributing to national development.
He commended the management of Konza for erecting a perimeter fence around their property, saying this would help ensure the trees are nurtured and secured from destruction.
Staff from other government agencies who participated in the tree planting exercise included representatives from Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, the Communications Authority, Postal Corporation, Kenya Yearbook, ICTA, and the Media Council.
Last week, staff from the State Department of Broadcasting and Telecommunications, in partnership with stakeholders and residents of Kisii, planted 6,500 assorted trees in three primary schools in the Kitutu Central sub-county of Kisii.
The exercise that was presided over by Secretary Administration (SA) at the State Department of BT Juliana Yiapan witnessed 2,500 trees planted at Kanunda Primary School, while 3,000 trees were planted at Sakawa Primary School and 1,000 trees at Kiamwasi Primary School.
By Kizito Maruti
