As the country gears to celebrate Mazingira Day on October 10, there is one man in Mukurwe-ini, Nyeri County, whose efforts to conserve the environment deserve special mention.
Peter Wamui, 73, has been planting trees for the past 36 years, particularly during national holidays and World Environment Day, marked annually on June 5. Moreover, he also plants trees to celebrate national and international leaders as well as various heroes.
Among the leaders that Wamui, a resident of the Gathuitu location in the Gikondi division, has planted trees in their honour include President Dr William Ruto and former Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta, Mwai Kibaki and Daniel Moi.
He has also planted trees in remembrance of departed heroes, former Premier Raila Amolo Odinga, Prof. Wangari Maathai and saint-bound nun Sister Irene Stefani (Nyaatha).
Others in the list of those the environmentalist has grown trees to mark their achievements include world marathon king Eliud Kipchoge, former Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph and the current Agriculture and Livestock Development CS Mutahi Kagwe.
Over the years, the environmentalist has been mobilising thousands of students and some village mates to plant trees in learning institutions, coffee factories, churches and road reserves, thus helping in nurturing a culture of environmental conservation among young people.
Interviewed by this writer at his one-acre land in Mbari ya Ngura village, Wamui encouraged Kenyans to mainly grow indigenous and fruit trees, as they offered various health, nutritional, financial and environmental benefits.
“Indigenous trees have various benefits, including medicinal, climate regulation, soil erosion prevention and providing good shade for coffee plantations,” stressed Wamui, while pointing to several indigenous trees on his farm, among them cordial abysinca, clotton megarcarpus and prunus africana (muiri).
He said planting fruit trees assuages hunger during drought periods.
Among the trees he continues to conserve is a huge 78-year-old cordial Abysinca (Muringa) that was planted by Kenya’s founding father, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, in 1948 at Muthuthiini AIPCA church during the colonial period.
Kenyatta had toured Nyeri accompanied by his arguably closest friend at the time, Mbiyu Koinange, a renowned educationist, who later became Minister of State when the former became president in 1964.
Wamui’s commitment to conservation saw him join the Green Belt Movement that was founded and led by iconic Nobel Peace Laureate the late Prof. Wangari Maathai.
Soon after, he established a tree nursery with the assistance of the then Gikondi location Senior Chief David Mukenye Ngari and first Mukurwe-ini sub-county forester Hezbon Ogira, whom he thanks to date for assisting with the initial seeds and seedling planting bags.
He recalled that Prof. Maathai encouraged Kenyans to plant trees to commemorate heroes and heroines who had sacrificed and contributed to the country’s welfare and the world at large in one way or another.
“The acclaimed Nobel Laureate always reminded us to plant trees in memory of heroes and heroines in this country during environmental days and public holidays.
She also urged us to recognise national and international political leaders, philanthropists and other such achievers through tree planting. I am happy to have heeded Prof. Mathaai’s clarion call,” said Wamui.
Wamui thanked President Dr William Ruto for his commitment to environmental conservation as exemplified by his relentless campaign to increase Kenya’s forest cover by a whopping 10 billion trees by 2032.
However, he regrets that despite his decades of voluntary environmental conservation efforts, those in authority do not seem to recognise his efforts.
“No one seems to acknowledge my personal efforts, though I have engaged in environmental conservation for close to 40 years free of charge.
I humbly request the government through the Kenya Forestry Service to facilitate me so that I continue mobilising more residents to plant trees and contribute towards the 10 billion trees target by 2032,” pleaded Wamui.
By Fredrick Kamau
