The government will not stop the tree planting exercise due to a lack of seedlings of different species, the community living near forests in Kiambu County has vowed.
They said they are working on seedbeds in readiness to assist the government in achieving its target of 15 billion trees by 2030.
Uplands Community Forest Association member John Mwathi said they aim at planting trees in the forests in some regions that were destroyed many years ago.
He said both CFA members and others have been planting tree seedlings so that the government and environmental stakeholders will not fall short of seedlings.
“As the community living near forests, we have planted seedbeds in our homes and in the forests so as to ensure that no planting drive or activity will stop or be postponed since there were no seedlings” he noted.
Mwathi added that in some regions where residents cultivate under the Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Systems (Pelis), more trees will be planted.
“It is known that, the regions where there is Pelis, no planted trees dry up. They are cultivated together with food crops planted,” he noted.
Kiambu ecosystems conservator Thomas Kiptoo on Wednesday said they have been mobilising locals through the CFA’s to plant more and more seedlings.
“Even as the Kenya Forest Service plants its own seedbeds, we have been enlightening and mobilising locals to plant tree seedbeds. We have been also urging them to plant trees at their homes and where they have enough lands, to develop forests,” he noted.
Kiptoo noted that in villages near Kinale, Kamae, Kireita, Uplands and Kijabe forests, locals have been attending forest meetings and asking many questions regarding the environment, forests and trees.
He noted that his office and the local CFA’s are committed to ensuring President William Ruto’s directive of achieving 15 billion trees planted by 2030 has been achieved.
Kijabe Environment and Volunteers Organisation (Kenvo) CEO Nelson Muiru said they plan to support all tree planting activities in nearby forests with seedlings.
He said they have been partnering with all environmental organisations coming to plant trees.
“We plant and educate people about trees and the environment so as to ensure the government has achieved its target,” Muiru said yesterday.
A Kinale CFA official Mugo wa Kiandutu has asked the government through the KFS to consider buying seedlings from locals who are not CFA members so that they can be motivated more to support environmental issues more.