Ruto, First Lady Rachel plant symbolic tree in Jerusalem

President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto on Tuesday planted a tree at The Grove of Nations in Jerusalem Forest, Israel.

Ruto, who is on a State visit to the country, said it is vital for the world to work together to fix the climate change crisis.

He commended Israel for being among the world's leading countries in restoration of the ecosystem.

He said Kenya was keen to do the same.

"Kenya will keenly follow these steady steps in building a more sustainable future for all," he said in a tweet on Tuesday.

According to Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, a Jewish Natinal Fund, the Grove of Nations was founded by the Foreign Ministry's Chief of Protocol Yitzhak Eldan.

His concept was that when national leaders planted a tree in Jerusalem, they symbolised a tight bond between them and Israel.

"Planting an olive tree in Jerusalem is a symbolic act which creates a deep-rooted bond between visiting statesmen and the State of Israel. A joint concern for nature and the environment forms a basis for partnership between countries," he said. 

The Grove was first established by KKL in 2005 and is  a part of the initiative led by UNESCO and the Council of Europe to establish an Olive Tree Route around the entire Mediterranean basin.

The strategy expresses the common desire for peace and co-existence.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has also planted a tree at the Jerusalem forest in the past. 

Other African leaders that have planted at The Grove include former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2016 and former Prime Minister of Togo Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo (2009).