The national government in partnership with a community based organisation is restoring Gwassi Hill in Homa Bay by planting trees after a landslide killed four people.
The landslide caused by serious degradation of the hill killed a 42-year-old woman and three children in Kisaku village, Suba Central subcounty.
It destroyed trees and washed away other vegetation in April 2024.
The tragedy also caused extensive loss of household property and livestock besides leaving the area with caves and impassable roads.
On Friday, Suba Central deputy county commissioner Beatrice Odira said they started planting trees as to restore the degraded area.
The programme is undertaken jointly with Voices for Just Climate Action.
“More than 600 trees have been planted as a start. Through collaboration we’re also establishing nursery beds where seedlings will be raised,” Odira said.
Speaking after planting trees and sensitising residents on flood disaster mitigation at Kisaku and Nyabomo areas, the DCC said the government plan to build gabions on the hill to control soil erosion.
The project will be cascaded to Rang’wa Hill, which has been deforested.
The DCC was in company of the area forester Nancy Auma and the Gen-Link organization secretary general Kenneth Ouma.
“We agreed with residents to adopt trees they planted as a way of embracing the project. The project is in line with the government agenda of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.”
Auma said the trees will reduce soil erosion and urged residents to avoid cutting down trees without permission.
She said they are committed to planting trees in the areas to avert adverse impacts of climate change.
“Anyone who wants to cut down trees must get a permit from the Kenya Forest Service office. We’re asking residents to report those who destroy the environment.”
Ouma said the landslide caused a lot of hardship to residents and their involvement in the project is to help them and prevent such incidents reccurring.
The project encompasses planting of bamboo trees at the Lake Victoria beaches in the area to restore the environment.
The official said conservation of environment needs concerted efforts, which was why they are partnering with the national and Homa Bay governments.
“The programme is one of the ways of providing a permanent solution to residents. We’re mobilizing resources to enable us to fully implement the project,” Ouma said.
Residents led by Samuel Ondicho and Nahason Moseti and asked the government to constantly provide them with seedlings to plant.
They want the Homa Bay government to continue improving roads that were destroyed.