PS Kihalangwa leads residents in planting trees at Maragoli Hills

The national government has planted 100,000 tree seedlings in the restoration of Maragoli Hills in Vihiga county to enhance forest cover.

The state targets to reclaim more than 150 hectares as a consolidated effort to restore the water tower.

Construction of gabions that mitigate effects of soil erosion that is sweeping away the bare hills is among the programmes undertaken to enhance tree seedlings survival rate in the area.

Energy PS Gordon Kihalangwa, who led the programme at the weekend, urged residents to protect water towers by getting rid of blue gum trees and replacing them with water-friendly trees.

“We can do with bamboos, grevillea and pines which are friendly to the environment to our water sources,” Kihalangwa said.

“Ministry of Energy has done this work in Londiani, Mau, Narok and Meru, among others areas, as we target to protect and have sufficient water. And as we do this, we are also protecting life for we all know water is life.” 

The PS told Maragoli residents that the Energy ministry will donate 300 clean cooking jikos to homes along Maragoli Hills in effort to mitigate over dependence on firewood, which promotes deforestation.

“Though I know people believe the three stones cook faster than the jiko, I want us to stop that narrative so that we protect our environment,” Kihalwanga said. 

“We will engage our people through public participation and agree on how we will get rid of these trees that will leave our water catchment areas dry. We will replace them with water-friendly trees," Vihiga Governor Wilber Ottichilo said

Ottichilo announced he would be setting up a "policy that will control sand harvesting so that our lands are not eroded.”

The governor commended Vihiga for surpassing the 10 per cent forest cover target to 35.9 per cent, which is mitigating effects of climate change.

(edited by Amol Awuor)