CS Kindiki declares climate change a national security threat

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has listed climate change among the five major national security threats Kenya is faced with.

Prof Kindiki on Monday said the perennial friction between farmers and pastoralists, which has on many occasions led to deaths, injury and destruction of property, is a consequence of the scramble for limited resources due to climate change.

He singled out terrorism; banditry and livestock rustling; trade, use and abuse of illicit alcohol, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; as well as cultural, religious and political extremism as the other four national security threats.

The security minister spoke when he launched the national tree-growing exercise in Garissa County as part of the nationwide drive that kicked off with Monday’s ‘Green Holiday’.

“Tree planting and growing will be a national culture in the country and all National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) are directed to spearhead it in their respective jurisdictions to save our country from the ravages of climate change, including droughts and floods,” Kindiki said.

He said more than 300,000 tree seedlings will be planted in the North Eastern Region counties of Garissa, Mandera and Wajir, under the coordination of area chiefs.

The tree-planting exercise is in a bid to achieve President William Ruto's ambitious target of 1.5 billion trees in a year and 15 billion trees in the next 10 years.

It is part of a broader programme aimed at combating deforestation and increasing the country’s tree cover to mitigate the effects of climate change in the country.

Monday’s exercise saw all cabinet secretaries oversee the drive in their allocated counties across the country.