We are cutting down three acres of trees in Karura to plant seedlings - CS Barasa

In an interview with NTV, Barasa stated that as part of the government's nationwide tree-growing initiative, two to three acres of forest area have been cleared to enable the propagation of up to five million seedlings. 

According to the CS, the seedlings will help with afforestation projects all throughout the nation, including in public parks, forests, urban areas, schools, and highways.

“To propagate around five million seedlings, we need space where we can establish nurseries and mobilise human resource to support the process,” Barasa said.

She argued that in order to support the large-scale seedling production and assist in managing the nursery, temporary housing structures are also being put up for NYS officers. 

According to Barasa, the program is a component of the government's strategy to raise Kenya's forest cover from 12% to 30% over the next several years. 

However, conservationists and members of the public, particularly organizations affiliated with Friends of Karura Forest, have expressed alarm over the forest's tree-cutting, citing concerns about the management of the protected urban forest. 

Barasa denied allegations that the forest is being destroyed and insisted that the project is intended to bolster the nation's tree-planting initiatives. 

In order to restore damaged ecosystems and increase the amount of forest cover, she continued, the national effort aims to mobilize communities in various ecological zones, including as coastal regions, drylands, and wetlands, to produce and plant more trees.