Braving the heavy downpour and the rough terrain of Ngangao Forest in the upper Taita Sub-County, Taita Taveta County residents led by Governor Andrew Mwadime joined the rest of the country to celebrate in style the maiden National Tree Planting Holiday by planting seedlings in contribution to President Ruto’s ambitious vision of growing 15 billion trees in the next ten years.
The event, graced by Cabinet Secretary for Wildlife and Tourism Dr. Alfred Mutua, was a fun-filled affair as residents joined hands with top national and county government officials to plant trees in efforts to improve forest cover throughout the country with the hope of pushing back the far-reaching effects of climate change.
Speaking at Wundanyi after the tree planting exercise, Dr. Mutua lauded the locals for turning up in huge numbers and heeding the Head of State’s rallying call to ensure that the country’s forest cover is improved.
Further, Dr. Mutua reiterated the importance of planting trees and equated each planted tree with an addition to life and better living conditions for every citizen.
“When you plant a tree, it’s a direct input to increasing your life. The more we plant, the more we can live, and not just live, but do so in the best conditions,” he said.
Cracking the ribs of residents and dignitaries alike, Governor Mwadime proclaimed that if God’s Ten Commandments were to be increased to eleven, the new one would be for planting trees.
“If there was to be an eleventh commandment, then I have no doubt it would be about planting trees,” said Mwadime.
At the county level, Governor Mwadime, who is the Council of Governor’s Chairperson for water, forestry, and natural resources management, has already initiated a project for every household to grow 100 trees annually.
In the grand scheme of things, the project aims to boost the county’s tree cover from the current 8 per cent to 30 per cent and improve forest cover from 3 per cent to the national target of 10 per cent in ten years.
Also present as a National Assembly leader from the county and the patron for the Mtimtoto Initiative, Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako said that a tree should be planted for every newborn to instill a culture of conservation among the young and future generations.
By Arnold Linga Masila
