Environment, Climate Change and Forestry CS Dr. Deborah Mlongo Barasa has led Vihiga residents in planting over 250,000 trees in Maragoli Hills, Vihiga County to mark the International Day of Forests.
Dr. Barasa commended Vihiga County for planting over 8.8 million trees and being at 35 percent tree cover while contributing to the President’s national rallying call of planting 15billion trees by 2032.
Speaking at Inyanza, Vihiga Sub County, during the function, the CS said the national tree cover is at 30 percent with 1.4 billion trees planted, while encouraging more Kenyans to plant trees to realize the national target of 15 billion trees.
She said over one million trees are expected to be planted at Maragoli Hills this rainy season, in a bid to restore the 465 hectares of ecosystem, calling on all residents of Vihiga County to embrace Maragoli Hills conservation and nurture the planted trees.
Dr. Barasa added that Maragoli Hills has many quiver fruits which can be processed into juice or sold both in national and international markets, saying the forest has fertile soils where other fruit trees can be grown as well.
The CS said that this year’s global Forests and Economies, resonates with Kenya’s Bottom- up Transformation Economic Agenda (BETA), which empowers communities at the grassroot levels and creates sustainable economic opportunities.
She challenged Kenyans to see the benefits in the process of planting trees, especially fruit trees which can provide them with fruits, which they can eat and sell the surplus for income.
Dr. Barasa encouraged Kenyans to take advantage of any free space and plant trees, saying whether in schools, forests, farms along the road and even in homesteads they should grow trees in a bid to realize 100 percent tree cover by 2032.
“By growing and nurturing trees our water towers will be protected and our ecotourism and forests safe guarded,” she added.
The CS called on the area residents to focus on agro-processing, value addition and creating green jobs thus developing a culture of not only planting, but also growing and nurturing trees.
Also present at the function were Principal Secretaries Gitonga Mugambi (Forestry), Dr. Beatrice Inyangala (Higher Education and Research) and Bonface Makokha (Economic Planning).
By Maureen Imbayi
