Mombasa — The Kenyan Government has set an ambitious goal to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 as part of a comprehensive environmental conservation campaign, announced Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya at a recent meeting in Mombasa State House.
According to Kenya News Agency, the initiative, which aims to confront the pressing issues of pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change, was unanimously supported during a Cabinet session. The directive will assign each Cabinet Secretary the responsibility of leading tree-planting efforts in two specific counties. This policy is designed to coordinate actions among multiple sectors at both state and grassroots levels to meet the nationwide objective.
The campaign will see a significant division of targets, with individual counties bearing specific tree-planting goals to fulfill the 15 billion tree mandate. In the Nyanza region, CS Eliud Owalo of the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy will oversee the planting of 91.8 million trees in Kisumu County over the next decade. Neighboring Siaya, Migori, and Homabay Counties are each tasked with planting 149 million trees within the same timeframe, equating to 14 million trees per year.
CS Tuya was speaking in Kisumu County, where she joined the Professional Association of Nyanza (PANY) Women in a drive that saw over 1,000 tree seedlings planted. The event, which also saw participation from CS Owalo and Labour and Social Protection CS Florence Bore, emphasized the connection between environmental conservation and livelihood, particularly given the current challenges posed by climate change, including severe droughts and floods.
The initiative not only aims for a substantial increase in national tree cover but also addresses disparities in tree cover among counties. Tuya highlighted that while Nyeri and Lamu Counties have exceeded the constitutional target tree cover of 10 percent, some Nyanza region counties like Siaya are significantly below this mark.
Further efforts to promote this ambitious agenda include proposed amendments to the Constituency Development Fund Act, empowering Members of Parliament to mobilize women and youth in tree planting and the production of seedlings. Tuya also revealed plans for a national day dedicated to tree-planting activities, leveraging the rainy season to boost the campaign.
In addition to advocating for community involvement in forest conservation, CS Tuya delivered a stark warning to those encroaching on protected lands, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy for illegal activities that threaten forest ecosystems. The government has commenced eviction operations in the Mau Forest Complex, with plans to extend these measures to other regions.