The Department of Probation and Aftercare Service in Lugari Sub County in Kakamega County, led a tree-planting drive at Lumakanda Township Comprehensive School to corroborate the government’s effort of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.
During the joint exercise involving the department’s staff, probationers, Junior Secondary School learners and teachers, 3000 trees were planted in tandem with President William Ruto’s national tree growing and ecosystem restoration vision targeting a 30 percent tree cover across the country.
The department’s head Justina Mutiso who spoke to the press after the tree planting exercise said the intent was to show their commitment towards mitigating the effects of global warming through planting more trees.
She said: “We planned and organized the exercise in order to conserve the environment. Through the support of the learners we have successfully planted 3000 trees.
“We have also taken the learners through the importance of trees in safeguarding the environment and urged each of them to adopt a tree and ensure it grows to maturity.
“Additionally we have engaged our clients-the probationers and community service offenders in the exercise to enable them acquire skills in tree planting and environmental conservation.
“We hope once their probation period ends, they will be able to utilize the skills in their respective homes and grow more trees.”
The Sub County Forest Officer Nelson Misigo appealed to residents to continuously engage in tree planting activities in order to safeguard the environment and guard against the effects of climate change.
He urged the learners to replicate the exercise in their homesteads and plant more trees noting that the current Kakamega County tree cover which stands at 11 percent is very low.
“I appeal to the learners to plant more trees in their homesteads. Let them encourage their parents to do the same, so that as a sub county we can achieve the government’s target of 30 percent tree cover by 2032.”He appealed.
He encouraged the residents to care and conserve the environment by planting more trees to avoid catastrophes in future.
Misigo noted that trees provide numerous benefits, such as timber and fuel; hence the community should come out and support tree-planting initiatives so that they can enjoy the benefits later.
President William Ruto launched the National Tree Growing Restoration Campaign in December 2022.The campaign targets to plant at least 15 billion trees by the year 2032 with an aim of attaining a 30 percent tree cover across the country.
By Melechezedeck Ejakait and Brenda Wabwire
