By P, KNA
The government is seeking partnerships with private investors, development partners, Kenya Forest Service, Community Forest Associations and Irrigation Water Users’ Associations to ensure it meets its tree growing quota of the 15 billion Tree Growing and Restoration Campaign by 2032.
The Secretary for Land Reclamation, Climate Resilience and Irrigation Water Management, Joel Tanui, while chairing a meeting to fast track the implementation of all Presidential directives for the State Department for Irrigation at Maji House, Nairobi, Wednesday, called on all Heads of Departments to incorporate innovative solutions in solving some of the challenges encountered in the implementation.
Tanui observed that successful tree growing efforts will play a vital role in restoring and reclaiming land in readiness for irrigation activities, which is part of the mandate of the State Department.
He revealed that the State Department will ensure that all future irrigation project contracts embed a tree seedling growing component, as part of the agreement, noting that such an arrangement will not only engage the beneficiary farmers in reclaiming and conserving their environment, but will also go a long way in ensuring that the State Department meets quota.
Kenya’s National Tree Growing and Restoration campaign was launched by President Dr. William Ruto in December 2022 and seeks to plant at least 15 billion trees by 2032 in a bid to increase the national tree cover to over 30 percent.
The directive seeks to combat the effects of climate change, restore 10.6 hactares of degraded environment and encourages every Kenyan to plant 30 trees annually.
Meanwhile, the State Department for Irrigation has a tree growing target of 20 million trees annually in Ngong Forest.
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