Nyandarua Governor Waithaka Mwangi has challenged grassroots leaders to mobilize farmers in a tree-planting campaign to protect water catchment areas and boost wealth.
While launching a tree-planting campaign in Tumaini Primary School, Ol’Kalou sub-county, the Governor urged locals to embrace the campaign.
“I want to tell the people of Nyandarua that tree-planting is wealth creation; you can get rich by selling tree products from your farm,” the Governor said.
He said Nyandarua County has the potential to make billions each year from the sale of trees including the fast-maturing blue-gum trees and told residents to set aside part of their farmlands for tree growing.
He was accompanied by local grassroots officials including area Deputy Commissioner, Sam Ojwang, out-going Ecosystems Conservator Mr. Benjamin Kinyiri, Chief Officer in charge of Water and Environment Eng. Martin Kamami and officials from Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (Tarda).
The Governor praised Tarda for donating 100,000 seedlings for use in the campaign noting that the firm was also undertaking several other projects in the county. The seedlings were presented by Liaison Officer Mr. Eddy Kamau who is also a personal assistant to the Managing Director.
Waithaka cited the rehabilitation of major dams in Kinangop sub-county by Tarda as well as a proposed construction of a major dam to supply thousands of farmers with water in Ndaragwa sub-county.
The Governor announced that his administration had launched major tree-planting across the five sub-counties of Ndaragwa, Ol’joro-Orok, Kipipiri, Ol’Kalou and Kinangop in partnership with schools with a target of planting one million trees per annum.
“Although Nyandarua has attained 20.6 per cent tree cover, we intend to move on with this campaign until we surpass 30 per cent cover,” the Governor said.
At the same time, the Governor said he was concerned by rising cases of consumption of illicit alcohol mainly by youth and called for concerted efforts among political and religious leaders to stamp out the vice.
He was responding to calls by the Deputy Commissioner who wanted strong measures taken to stem the tide of alcohol abuse saying this had a direct impact on the high preference of HIV/AIDS in some market centers in the region.