How gov't officials marked tree planting holiday countrywide

The holiday was declared by the government to commemorate Kenyans who have lost their lives due to the ongoing floods in the country. 

President William Ruto has declared that tree planting will continue for the next six months with each ministry tasked with planning and organising on a daily basis.

Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti and Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Njuguna Ndung’u led locals in a tree planting exercise in Kalama Sub-County in Machakos, one of the counties that was hit hard by raging floods. 

Governor Wavinya said her government had distributed a wide range of tree varieties across the country.

“We are the ones who destroyed and it is high time we start working and that we plant trees and grow trees in order to combat the effects of climate change,” Wavinya said.

“We will be planting trees in every county every day I have chosen Friday myself so that I can come to Machakos, tunapanda miti mpaka jioni the other days I go to Nyandarua tunapanda mpaka jioni and that is the only way we can salvage our economy,” said CS Ndung’u.

Defense Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale led the military in a tree planting exercise with the members of the public in Sururu Area of Mau Forest in Nakuru County. 

According to Duale, the military will be visiting the sites where they have planted trees every 4th of Wednesday of the month to plant and ensure that they grow.

“KDF has been tasked to produce 800 million seedlings over a decade and we are also supposed to grow 450 million trees as a significant contribution to the 15 billion tree targets,” Duale said.

Treasury Principal Secretary Dr Chris Kiptoo and his medical services counterpart Dr Harry Kimutai led the tree planting exercise at the Kipkabus Forest, in Kimwogo, Keiyo South, Elgeyo Marakwet County.

The leaders said there is a need to grow the current 12 per cent national tree cover to 30 per cent in the next 10 years.

Principal Secretary, State Department for Diaspora Affairs Roseline Njogu and Kirinyaga Deputy Governor Wachira Githanda led the tree planting exercise in Kutus Town.

“We just came from drought so these episodes of drought floods are the phenomena that we are saying now climate change is not a matter of a distant future but its a threat to humanity,” said Dr. Chris Kiptoo.

“Principal secretary state department for diaspora affairs...na ni muhimu tuweze kulea miti ndio tuweze kupambana na haya mambo ya climate change , hapa kirinyaga tutakuwa tunapanda miti 36000,” Njogu added.

Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Dr Alfred Mutua while leading the exercise in Taita Taveta County announced an ambitious plan to ensure that every tourist visiting the country plants a tree. 

This initiative, dubbed "one tree per tourist," he said is a significant step forward in the nation's efforts to mitigate climate change and preserve Kenya's rich biodiversity.

“Tukipata milioni tatu ya watalii tunajua milioni tatu wamepanda kule miji kama Nairobi ambapo hoteli hawana shamba ya kupanda tutakuwa tunawatembeza kwa tourism forests ama mbuga ya watalii ambapo watapelekwa na kupanda miti tunataka ulimwangu mzima wajue hapa kenya mambo ya miti ni mambo ya uhai,” said Mutua.

The country has a target of 15 billion trees by 2030.