Kakamega county plans to plant five million indigenous trees yearly to supplement the national tree planting programme, which targets 15 billion trees by 2032.
Governor Fernandes Barasa said that will help the county administration to achieve its objective of greening the largest rural county.
“Kakamega county has a target of planting five million trees per year. We need to synergise all our efforts and have a well-coordinated approach to achieve this,” Barasa said.
The governor was speaking when he presided over the national tree planting day at Murhanda in Shinyalu constituency on Monday.
Barasa launched the Kakamega County Greening Programme, which he said is a remedy to land degradation as identified by ward climate change planning committees.
The greening programme will see trees, particularly assorted fruit trees, planted in all public spaces, including schools, colleges, hospitals and church compounds.
“For this financial year we have prioritised the growing of indigenous fruit trees where every community area in the county is expected to grow at least 500, 000 assorted fruits and indigenous tree seedlings,” he said.
Environment executive Penina Mukabane emphasised on the need to plant both indigenous and exotic fruit tree varieties.
“Both species can contribute to landscape rehabilitation and provide a year-round harvest of vitamin-rich fruits and at the same time fill hunger gaps and specific nutrient gaps,” Mukabane said.
The county government will this year spend close to Sh300 million to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Barasa acknowledged having received Sh22 million county institutional support as they expect another Sh137 million county investment support grant.
The county seeks to facilitate fencing of Kakamega Forest in Shinyalu at Sh25 million, renovate and solarise Savona Water Plant at Sh15 million and support Mumias East Water Project at Sh15 million.
Kakamega Forest is Kenya's only tropical rainforest with an acreage of approximately 23,000 hectares situated in the counties of Kakamega and Nandi.
The forest is a watershed for River Isiukhu and River Yala and is home to 472 bird species, with 16 of them having been confirmed to be found only in Kenya.
