Residents of Nandi County have been urged to plant 18 million trees this year to help the government achieve its target of 15 billion trees by 2032.
Principal Secretaries Eng. Peter Tum (State Department of Sports), Eng. Festus Ngeno (State Department of Environment and Climate Change) and Mr. Gitonga Mugambi (State Department of Forestry) said the exercise is part of the joint campaign to fight climate change and its effects.
Speaking after presiding over a tree planting exercise at Kimondi forest where 10,000 trees were planted, the leaders stated that climate change was a serious issue and all hands were needed on deck to solve the crisis.
“Let us preserve and protect the environment by planting trees as mother nature is unforgiving and if we destroy it, it will punish us greatly,” said Eng. Ngeno
The PS also pleaded with the residents to protect the wetlands as part of the ecosystem restoration program and pledged to work with local leaders to restore King’wal wetlands in Nandi County.
“Our mission is to promote and facilitate good governance in the protection, restoration, conservation, development and management of environment and forestry resources for equitable and sustainable developments,” he said
Mugambi reminded Nandi residents that their target was 18 million trees every year, stating that the county had only planted 1.6 million trees since the start of the initiative.
“Every resident of this county including children should plant at least 30 trees every year in order to help the county achieve its target,” he stated.
He urged residents to protect the forests even as they plant trees. He noted that the lifting of the ban on logging did not apply to indigenous trees.
Eng. Tum reiterated on the importance of individual responsibility in the protection of the environment adding that his department will also support the initiative to ensure the County gets good forest cover.
“Climate change is the most serious danger the world faces today. Let us all unite and restore Kenya’s degraded ecosystems through tree growing,” he said
Speaking at the same event, Nandi County Deputy Governor Dr. Yulita Mitei urged women across the county to support First Lady Rachel Ruto initiative dubbed “Mama Doing Good’ campaign for the mama fruit garden programme targeting all primary schools countrywide.
The campaign aims to boost nutrition among pupils and generate income for schools.
“As women of this county, let’s embrace this program fully and plant fruit trees to conserve the environment and in the long run, we will benefit financially by selling the fruits,” stated Dr. Yulita adding that Kimondi primary school became the first school in the county to benefit from the initiative where hundreds of Macadamia trees were planted
She added that everyone had a role to play in the attainment of the 15 billion target adding that the involvement of the school children in the program was a good move.
In attendance was Mr. Alex Lermarkoko the acting Chief Conservator of forests who urged the residents to report all individuals who cut down indigenous trees and reminded them to plant more instead.
By Linet Wafula and Laban Kiplimo
