Government to gazette, rehabilitate 10,000 wetlands

The Kenya Kwanza government will embark on a journey to rehabilitate wetlands in the county after President William Ruto declared on Monday that wetlands and water towers across the country will be secured and gazetted.

"We must change the face of our nation. We must have enough water, get rains in all seasons, have enough food production and leave behind a country for the next generation that is well conserved," he said.

Ruto stated that 10,000 wetlands in Kenya must be protected from human activities such as settlement and destruction of trees.

The Head of State noted that the government will continue to protect the Kenyan environment and ensure that future generations will be proud of it.

Wetlands as explained by Nature Kenya are amongst the most productive ecosystems on earth.

They provide water for daily use, soils for agriculture, fish for food, pasture for cattle and materials for construction.

These unique ecosystems also provide essential services such as flood control, water filtration, protecting soil from erosion and carbon sequestration (removing carbon from the atmosphere and depositing it in a reservoir – in this case, in plants).

To also protect the wetlands areas, President Ruto called for concerted efforts in environmental protection to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The President appealed to Kenyans to support the government’s tree-planting exercise to increase the country’s tree cover.

He urged Kenyans to cease encroachment on the nation’s wetlands and forests, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding water catchment areas.

This, he explained, will ensure the country has better climatic conditions, a better environment, and regular and adequate rains to support agriculture.

“If there is a programme that will make a meaningful impact in the attainment of our food security goals and address the cost of living, it is environmental protection,” he said.

The President made the remarks on Monday during the National Tree Growing Day at Kiu Wetland in Makindu, Makueni County.

During the event, 150,000 seedlings were planted as part of a national campaign aimed at utilising the short rains to grow 100 million seedlings across the country.