Uhuru Park and Karura forest would no longer exist if the late Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai had not intervened, Environment CS Keriako Tobiko has said.
Tobiko said several other natural resources were saved by Maathai's fierce environmental activism.
“It is worthwhile to note that Karura Forest was on the verge of extinction through illegal excisions and de-gazettement, but Prof Wangari fought for its reclamation and restoration.
“Today most of the illegal allocations have been revoked and the battle is still on,” Tobiko said.
Tobiko spoke during the Wangari Maathai Day and Africa Environment Day celebrations at Uhuru Park in Nairobi.
He reiterated the government's commitment to working closely with the Green Belt Movement – a brainchild of Maathai.
“The ministry has enhanced the space for the NGOs and civil society organisations to partner and collaborate with the government and complement each others' efforts,” Tobiko said.
The CS said the ministry was aware of the role played by the Green Belt Movement and the civil society in the conservation of the environment, forests and other natural resources.
The movement's chairperson Marion Kamau urged stakeholders to emulate Maathai's efforts and fight against the prevailing environmental challenges.
“Prof Wangari's lessons have never been timelier as our beloved nation and the world at large face the myriad challenges that threaten planetary peace and sound environment management,” Kamau said.
She further urged stakeholders to step up efforts to avert natural disasters ahead of the long rains season.
“Our clarion call is for tree planting en masse and protection of other water sources during the upcoming long rains. We are planning to plant over 1.8 million trees during this long rains season,” Kamau said.
The Wangari Maathai Day is commemorated every March 3 in conjunction with the Africa Environment Day.
It is celebrated as a tribute to Maathai who died in 2011 after a battle with ovarian cancer.
As part of Africa Environment Day, it is used as an opportunity to highlight the emerging environmental challenges in the continent.
Organisations represented at Tuesday's event included the Kenya Defence Forces, Wangari Maathai Institute, Kenya Forest Service, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce, the European Union and the University of Nairobi, among others.
A similar event was held concurrently in Freetown, Sierra Leone presided over by President Julius Maada Bio.
(edited by O. Owino)