Public Investments and Assets Management PS Cyril Wagunda led Migori County residents in marking the 2025 Mazingira Day.
The event that saw the PS donate 2,000 tree seedlings was held at Wasio Comprehensive School in Suna East, Migori County.
Leading residents, including students and local administrators in planting trees, Wagunda reaffirmed the government’s commitment to achieving a greener and more sustainable future.
The PS underscored the urgent need for environmental conservation, noting that the exercise is a crucial step towards achieving the national goal of planting and nurturing 15 billion trees by 2032.
“The trees planted today is a step towards achieving this ambitious but critical target,” Wagunda stated, noting that the President’s 15 Billion Trees Growing Initiative aims to increase the national tree cover to 30 percent.
The PS commended the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO) team under the leadership of the County Commissioner Kisilu Mutua for coordinating the event, noting that the exercise formed part of the national government’s broader initiative to restore degraded landscapes and promote environmental stewardship.
“This year’s Mazingira Day theme focuses on citizen-centric tree growing and environmental stewardship, with special emphasis on fruit trees in schools to promote nutrition and livelihoods,” Wagunda said.
“The 2,000 trees planted here today may seem small, but they are part of the critical steps towards achieving this national target. Tree planting is not just about mitigating climate change but also about improving livelihoods, food security and building a greener economy,” he added.
At the continental level, he said the initiative supports Africa’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a prosperous and sustainable continent.
“Through tree planting and ecosystem restoration, we reaffirm Kenya’s leadership and commitment to environmental stewardship, acting locally while thinking globally,” he said.
Wagunda also reflected on the symbolic meaning of tree planting, describing it as a long-term investment in future generations.
“As an African proverb reminds us, a society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in,” he said.
The PS expressed concern over the visible effects of climate change in Migori County, including prolonged droughts, flash floods, and rising temperatures, which have disrupted agricultural production and water supply.“
Here in Migori, we have seen how climate change is no longer a distant phenomenon. But we have also witnessed the power of renewal when communities unite for a common cause,” he noted.
He urged residents to embrace the spirit of tree planting beyond Mazingira Day, stressing that community participation was key to restoring degraded ecosystems and securing a sustainable future for posterity.
By Geoffrey Makokha and Polycarp Ochieng
