Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano has called for enhanced environmental conservation, saying the protection of forests and other natural attractions is key to boosting tourism and supporting livelihoods.
Miano spoke during a tree-planting exercise at Njabini Forest in the Kiburu area of Kinangop, Nyandarua County, where she was joined by Principal Secretary for Roads Engineer John Mbugua and other stakeholders in planting more than 50,000 tree seedlings.
The exercise brought together Community Forest Associations, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and other environmental conservation stakeholders, who pledged to nurture the seedlings to maturity.
Miano said the country was making progress in promoting tourism, noting that Kenya had received more than 2.7 million tourists, the highest number recorded, generating over Sh500 billion in foreign exchange earnings.
She said the tourism sector had also created direct and indirect employment opportunities for Kenyans, adding that environmental conservation was increasingly influencing tourists’ choice of destinations.
“Tourists are now willing to visit places where the environment is well conserved, and we must continue protecting our forests and other natural attractions to sustain this growth,” she said.
Miano noted that approximately 60 per cent of the Aberdare Forest lies within Nyandarua County, making the region an important destination for nature-based tourism.
She identified Lake Ol Bolossat, the only freshwater lake in the Central region, as another major tourist attraction whose water levels have improved alongside efforts to enhance forest cover in the region.
The CS added that waterfalls and hiking trails in the Aberdare ranges continued to attract visitors, stressing that such attractions could only be sustained through effective forest conservation.
Miano said the tree-planting initiative was also aimed at supporting the national government’s efforts to increase forest cover, conserve ecosystems and provide timber and food for present and future generations.
“Last year, we were here and planted trees, including fruit trees, and I have been informed that they are doing well. We want to transform our forest cover in line with the President’s directive, conserve our ecosystems and ensure that our forests provide timber and food for us and future generations,” she said.
Meanwhile, Engineer Mbugua reaffirmed the government’s commitment to completing the Njabini–Gatura road to improve transport and movement in the area.
Mbugua also urged stakeholders to plant trees along road reserves, saying the initiative would beautify roads while contributing to the national tree-cover target.
He called on communities and other partners to take an active role in environmental conservation by planting and maintaining trees in their respective areas.
Nyandarua County KFS Conservator Daniel Mkung emphasised the importance of responsible forest management to ensure that harvesting activities did not undermine efforts to increase forest cover.
The participants pledged to work together to ensure the newly planted seedlings survive and grow to maturity, strengthening forest cover and supporting biodiversity, climate resilience and sustainable tourism in the region.
by Antony Mwangi
