- The government has gazetted May 10, 2024 as a National Tree Growing Day for the 2024 long rains season.
- It will be Kenya’s second National Tree Growing Day, following the inaugural ‘Green Holiday’ on November 13, 2023.
Image: HANDOUT
The government has set an ambitious target of planting one billion trees on Friday, Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya has said.
Tuya said the government is hoping every adult will plant at least 50 seedlings on the day, and 10 for every child.
The government has gazetted May 10, 2024, as a National Tree Growing Day for the 2024 long rains season.
It will be Kenya’s second National Tree Growing Day, following the inaugural ‘Green Holiday’ on November 13, 2023.
“To keep track of individual tree count, wananchi are encouraged to ensure that all trees grown on that day are recorded and photos uploaded on the Jaza Miti Application,”
To demonstrate the government’s frontline role in the 15 Billion National Tree Growing Programme, each Cabinet Secretary has been assigned specific sites as per Cabinet directive.
In this regard, Cabinet Secretaries have been tasked to coordinate their Ministries, including the Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs) under them as well as host communities to ensure that these sites are fully restored.
“This will be a continuous exercise where Cabinet Secretaries shall set aside a day in a month to engage in tree growing,” Tuya said in a statement.
She said The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, through its specialised agencies; Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and Kenya Water Towers Agency (KWTA) will provide the technical support needed to ensure that the endeavour succeeds.
Tuya urged governors, MPs, MCAs, private sector, and all organised groups as well as individual Kenyans to take cue from the Executive and adopt degraded landscapes and ecosystems across different parts of the country for full restoration.
“At the same time, we appeal to the private sector, development partners and other well-wishers to support provisioning of seedlings from institutional, community and private nurseries as their contribution to building the resilience of our ecosystems,” she said.
Tuya further said the current crisis calls upon all Kenyans to take personal responsibility and action towards environmental conservation.
“Let us be true Kenyan citizens on Friday and always by rolling our sleeves and growing trees. It is the easiest action we should take to safeguard ourselves from the worsening climate crisis and truly stand in solidarity with the Kenyans that have lost their lives, and property and at the same time mitigate against the severity of future extreme weather events,” she added.