- So far, the State Department for Roads has planted 415,000 trees, while the State Department for Transport has managed 16,100 trees, according to Murkomen.
- Murkomen said to meet the ministry’s target of 30 million trees, each agency, division and department has been allocated its target.
Image: LABAN WALLOGA
Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen on Monday said the parastatals, agencies, divisions and departments under his ministry will plant 30 million trees in 10 years.
This initiative is part of President William Ruto’s National Tree Growing and Restoration Campaign and Kenya’s Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Programme, which aims to plant 15.9 billion trees within the next decade.
Last week, the Interior CS Kithure Kindiki announced that Monday, November 13, will be a public holiday for planting trees. Ruto led the exercise in Makindu in Makueni, whereas all Cabinet secretaries were sent to all 47 counties to lead the exercise.
Murkomen led senior government officials, and public and private sector stakeholders, to wade through the muddy path in Mikindani’s Tudor Creek, to plant 30,000 mangrove seedlings.
Speaking after the mangrove planting exercise, Murkomen said the Ministry of Roads and Transport has been given a target of 30 million trees.
The State Department for Roads needs to plant 20 million trees, whereas the Transport Department has been allocated 10 million trees.
So far, the State Department for Roads has planted 415,000 trees, while the State Department for Transport has managed 16,100 trees, according to Murkomen.
“During these short rains, we expect all agencies and divisions to meet half of their targets by December 30,” he said.
He added, “They are also required to commit to continuing with this exercise throughout the year. The balance of trees to be planted this financial year will be completed by June 30, 2024.”
Murkomen said to meet the ministry’s target of 30 million trees, each agency, division and department has been allocated its target.
Kenya Rural Roads Authority will plant five million trees, Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) has been given a target of five million trees, and Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) will need to plant three million trees.
Kenya Roads Boards (2 million trees), Engineering Board of Kenya (one million trees), Kenya Engineering Technology Registration Board (one million trees), Mechanical and Transport Division (one million), Kenya Institute of Highway and Building Technology (one million), and the Headquarter of Roads Department to plant one million trees.
Kenya Ports Authority has a target of 5 million, Kenya Airports Authority 1.3 million, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority 600,000, National Transport and Safety Authority 500,000, Lapsset Corridor Development Authority 80,000, Kenya Railways Corporation 2.2 million, Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority 30,000 and Headquarters of Transport department 80,000 trees.
Murkomen said deforestation, urbanisation, industrial development, agricultural expansion and unsustainable agricultural practices, are undermining the ability of ecosystems to sustain food production, maintain freshwater and forest resources, as well as regulate climate and air quality.
“I am alive to the fact that our sector leaves significant carbon footprints,” he said.
He added, “By growing trees, we contribute to offsetting our carbon footprint and invest in a sustainable future for the coming generations.”
Murkomen said he has been assigned by President Ruto to oversee this noble tree-planting initiative in the counties of Mombasa and Homa Bay.
He said Mombasa, with a population of 1,208,333 people, currently has a tree cover of 23.75 per cent.
“The 10-year tree-growing target is 7,452,454 trees for Mombasa, and during these short rains, the target is to grow 248,415 trees,” he said.
Mombasa County government also has a seedlings propagation programme that has a target of 1,199,537 seedlings.
So far, 165, 421 trees have been planted in the county under the Jaza Miti Initiative.