10,000 trees planted in Mt Elgon to mark CS Tuya's birthday

Environment CS Soipan Tuya has marked her birthday by overseeing the planting of 10,000 trees in Mt Elgon forest in Bungoma County.

She led residents in planting indigenous tree species at the Cheptais Forest Station in Chepyuk, in an exercise that was attended by county leaders led by Deputy Governor Chemutai Mbatiany.

Th event was organised by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

Tuya urged Kenyans to make tree growing a lifestyle by taking advantage of every opportunity to plant trees.

"When you celebrate your birthday or any of your important days, please mark it with a tree growing. Here we've planted 10,000 trees," she said.

She said increasing the tree cover will help mitigate against adverse effects of climate change. 

This is also in line with the state's plan to grow 15 billion trees and raise the country's tree cover to 30 percent by 2032.

The CS noted that climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the country, ranking second to terrorism.

She urged the residents of Mt Elgon and the Western Kenya belt to take advantage of the high rainfall received in the region to intensify tree growing.

CS Tuya said Western Kenya forests including Mt Elgon and Kakamega were facing a myriad of challenges including encroachment, adding that she had held a meeting with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to find lasting solutions.

She directed KFS to involve forest adjacent communities through their community forest associations in conservation activities, noting that communities were the first line of defence against forest degradation.

She also urged forest adjacent communities to be responsible custodians of forest resources and refrain from involving themselves in illegal activities.

Tuya said the 15 billion national tree growing programme had been expanded to include a food security component assuring that seedlings being propagated by Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) and KFS will include fruit tree species as part of a deliberate government effort to promote agro-forestry.

"We don't want to ask Kenyans to plant trees while they are afflicted by hunger. The seedlings we are propagating through KEFRI and KFS, at least 30 percent will be fruit seedlings. We will make sure they're available across the country," she said.

She also noted that the state is recruiting 4,000 youth into the green army initiative.

She was accompanied by Director General of NEMA Mamo Mamo and KFS board chairman Job Chirchir.

On her part, Mbatiany said Bungoma County was on course to achieving its forest cover target of 36 percent.

She urged the CS to give preference to forest host counties when recruiting staff into the sector including rangers.

"I also request CS Soipan Tuya to consider residents from forest growing regions in their recruitment because they are the ones who will take care of the trees as they border the forests,"Mbatiany said.