The Kenya Forest Service intends to plant more than 80 million tree seedlings from now until June next year in Kericho county.
Conservator of forests Stephen Kahunyo said the seedlings will cover 800 hectares (1,976 acres) in the West Mau Forest and degraded forest land.
Kahunyo said KFS has large tree seedlings in its Kericho forest station and intends to replant harvested forest sites in West Mau Forest, Londiani Forest and other degraded forest sites.
Kahunyo donated 200 seedlings on Wednesday during a tree-planting exercise at Kericho High School.
He said Kericho has achieved 23 per cent forest cover and aims to plant more trees in public and private farms to increase national forest cover to 10 per pent from the current 7.2 per cent.
The conservator urged residents to help ensure the seedlings survive and mature. Planted sites are protected, he said.
Kahunyo thanked the Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency for providing more seedlings for Kericho and other counties neighbouring the lake.
The agency's chief manager of corporate planning Miriam Siwa said the agency will plant 62,500 trees in Bomet, Kericho, Migori, Siaya, Kisii, Nyamira, Homa Bay and Kisumu counties.
She said they will be planted along the Kimugu River and along the Kericho water catchment area to protect and help conserve the rainwater pattern.
Siwa said rivers originating in Kericho were feeding Lake Victoria and the River Nile.
The agency will donate two, 10,000-litre water tanks and two hand washing kits to Kericho High School to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Principal Dan Chelule urged KFS and other well-wishers to donate face masks for students.
The Lake Victoria agency is building the Sh1 billion Kimugu river water project for Kericho with the National government.
(Edited by V. Graham)
