The State Department of Basic Education targets to plant 200 million tree seedlings every year in learning institutions in the country in a bid to mitigate the effects of climate change and to achieve the 15 billion trees target by the year 2032 as directed by the president.
In a speech read on his behalf by Dr. Elias Abdi the Director General in the State Department of Basic Education, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said that after the Kenya Forest Service, the Ministry of Education has been tasked with planting the highest number of trees in the country because of the high number of learning institutions in the country.
The CS remarked that there are over 24,000 public primary schools and 9,130 public secondary schools in the country with adequate land which is suitable for planting and nurturing trees to combat climate change.
He noted that his ministry is committed towards achieving their target and they have asked the 398 sub county directors of education to plant 510,000 trees this year.
He added that tree planting should be incorporated in all school events and they should not only be planted but should also be nurtured to maturity.
In addition, the CS urged the youth to support environmental conservation and take part in initiatives that promote it.
He revealed that the ministry has embedded environmental conservation in school programmes in a bid to inculcate tree planting in the learners.
“We have integrated environmental conservation in subjects like home science, social studies and agriculture in addition to having clubs and societies like the 4K, Red Cross and Wildlife so that our learners are able to take care of the environment even at a young age,” said CS Machogu
The CS also urged parents to embrace tree growing even at home as they will change the Kenyan climate.
On his part, Rift Valley Regional Director of Education Milton Nzioka said that all students in schools are required to plant at least 4 seedlings while all teachers in colleges and other institutions should plant 10 seedlings and all employees including county directors of education and TSC employees should plant 30 seedlings to ensure the tree planting targets are met.
The tree seedlings must comprise the indigenous, exotic and fruit seedlings.
“As for the Rift Valley region, our target is to plant 9 million trees in all the 14 sub counties in the region and so far, we have planted 7 million trees. Let us all take part in conserving the environment as food security and combating climate change also depends on the same,” he said
Kajiado county Director of Education Dr. Martin Cheruiyot remarked that Kajiado is in line to achieve the 3.5 million target for this year as over 1 million trees have already been planted in Kajiado schools in partnership with several partners.
He pointed out that the most important thing is to nurture the trees to maturity and they are encouraging schools to have proper fencing to keep off livestock from destroying the trees.
“To ensure that the trees survive even though Kajiado is semi-arid, we are planting them in schools with boreholes so that students can water them using the water from the boreholes,” said Dr. Cheruiyot.
They were speaking at a tree planting exercise in Kitengela G.K Prison which was organized by the Ministry of Education, in partnership with Kenya Forest Service, Africa Disaster Response and Virus Research Foundation and other partners.
President William Ruto gave a directive that 15 billion trees be planted in the country by the year 2032.
This will be monitored by the Jaza Miti application that every Kenyan or institution will use to document their tree planting.
According to the Kajiado’s Deputy County Forest Conservator, Jane Chepkonga, Kajiado has a target of planting 62 million annually.
By Diana Meneto
