- President Ruto led the initiative in Makueni County assisted by Cabinet Secretaries, governors and national government administration officers
- But Ngunyi as his ilk doubted this could be achieved prior to the exercise, he revealed, and asked the President to forgive the lot.
Image: PCS
Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi has called on President William Ruto to forgive those who did not believe Monday's national tree-planting exercise would be a huge success.
So invested was the government in the initiative that CS Kithure Kindiki last week declared the day a national working day holiday to enable Kenyans to plant 100 million trees.
This is part of President William Ruto's goal to plant 15 billion trees in 10 years.
But Ngunyi as his ilk doubted this could be achieved.
The analyst while questioning the necessity of declaring Monday, November 13, a public holiday said Kenyans would not honour the agenda of the day.
"This government does not add up. I do not understand why November 13th is a public holiday. Is there something they know that we do not know?" he posed.
"On the 13th weekend, Kenyans will drink beer like El Nino. No money to buy trees. Is the plot to get us drunk? And why?"
On Monday, however, he asked the President to forgive him and others who did not believe in the initiative.
"I was wrong on the #TreePlantingDay. It was a big success. Everyone I know planted a tree," the former presidential advisor said in a statement on his X handle.
"My two grandsons planted Mango trees in my compound. Dear Ruto, forgive your critics," he said.
The government provided about 150 million free seedlings at chiefs' offices and forest agency centres across all 47 counties for Kenyans to plant the trees in designated public areas.
President Ruto led the initiative in Makueni County assisted by Cabinet Secretaries, governors and national government administration officers in other regions in an initiative aimed at helping fight climate change.
But despite the rallying call for Kenyans to turn up in numbers for the exercise, a section of leaders poured cold water on the initiative with the likes of Narok Senator Ledama Olekina questioning the source of the funds.
In a statement on his X handle on Monday, the lawmaker claimed, without proof, that the cost of flying Cabinet Secretaries to the various destinations for the exercise would gobble up Sh21.25 million.
"WilliamsRuto, Just how many seedlings would have been bought and planted by CBOs if they were given that budget and CS use their vehicles to save the environment?" he asked.
"Remember the budget above is only transport of 23 choppers no vehicles no cost of seedlings? We are indeed a sick nation," he added.
But Ruto said conservation of the environment is an urgent and collective responsibility of our time as he joined hands with other Kenyans in the tree planting exercise at Kiu Wetland in Makueni County.
"Natural resources, particularly forests, play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem balance, enhancing biodiversity and sustaining the livelihoods of people and communities across our country," the President said.
Trees generally help in combating global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.
Tree planting also brings financial benefits if governments proof that they have helped cut carbon emissions within their jurisdictions.
Such governments earn carbon credits which they then sell to individuals, businesses, governments or NGOs who wish to voluntarily offset their greenhouse gas emissions.