Mombasa residents have demonstrated their patriotism and unwavering commitment by turning up in significant numbers to commemorate Friday’s holiday by planting trees, serving as a tribute to the memory of fellow Kenyans who have lost their lives to the ongoing floods in the country.
The tree-planting exercise at Aldina-Jomvu was spearheaded by Transport Secretary, Duncan Hunda who represented the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, Kipchumba Murkomen.
He noted that he was impressed by the turnout of people, who had planted more than 27,000 trees by 10 am. He asked the area MP, Badi Twalib, to make sure that the trees planted today are well nurtured.
“The only thing you can do for your country is leaving it better than you found it and this can only be achieved by preserving the environment by planting trees in collaboration with other measures to mitigate climate change,” Hunda said.
He urged all citizens to take it as their responsibility and make a culture of planting trees without waiting for The President’s directive.
He acknowledged that this year’s floods have resulted in a lot of destruction of property, displacement of people, and loss of lives.
“The floods have become a national crisis, affecting every Kenyan both directly and indirectly, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that we mitigate these effects of climate change,” he said.
He added that it is important for everyone to take part in addressing the climate change issue as it is posing significant challenges to our environment, economy, and overall well-being.
He further said that education and awareness-raising efforts are crucial in mobilizing communities to adopt environmentally friendly behaviors.
The area Member of Parliament, Badi Twalib extended his heartfelt gratitude to the President for designating today as a tree planting day noting that it does not only pay homage to those who lost their lives but also reaffirms dedication to nurturing and preserving the natural world.
“I would like to encourage the residents of Jomvu to continue planting trees by involving schools, NGOs, and the general public to address the challenge of deforestation comprehensively and I believe we can make a significant impact in preserving our environment,” Twalib said.
The managing Director of Kenya Ports Authority, Captain William Ruto said that the parastatal has been actively supporting the tree-planting initiatives.
He added that moving forward they are going to have more collaborations with different government bodies, NGOs, youth groups, and women groups to help them achieve their 10 million trees target.
Ruto said that they are eager to initiate a program by adopting at least one area at the Aldina-Jomvu with a vision to both preserve the environment by planting trees and to empower the youth by entrusting them with the responsibility of nurturing the trees in the adopted area.
By Fatma Said and Sadik Hassan
