Former Mukurwe-ini MP Kabando wa Kabando has criticised President William Ruto over his remarks on the spiritual connection between prayers and tree planting.
Through a series of tweets on Wednesday, Kabando said it was blasphemous for Ruto to suggest that Kenya was unsuccessful in the exercise due to a lack of prayers.
"Rais Ruto isn't serious telling Israel, "We have always tried to plant trees in Kenya ..our success has been mixed because we didn't have the element of prayer"? Reeks blasphemy," he said.
On Tuesday, Ruto said he had come to the realisation that tree planting needed spiritual intervention.
He spoke after planting a tree at the Grove of Nations in Jerusalem, Israel.
"I was pleased to learn this afternoon that is not only a good thing to protect our environment but is also biblical. And it is also spiritual. I understand here because, for the first time, I found that we have to pray before we plant trees," he said.
"I think because we didn't have the element of prayer and now that we do, I am very confident we will succeed in our plan to plant 15 billion trees in the next 10 years."
Kabando said it was wrong for the President to make a joke of God's grace, saying Ruto's words may even lead Israelites to assume that their God is mightier than Kenya's.
"GOD infallible, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient. Of Israel, Of Mount Kenya, Of Mecca, or Of Hindu: God is One. We shouldn't ever pun his grace," he said.
The former MP noted that the Nordic nations were forested yet religious faith was not popular among them.
He further noted that Wangari Maathai had planted trees through the Green Belt Movement(GBM), adding that her actions led to the movement's success.
He listed some of the places Wangari planted trees including at the graveside of the Mzee Kiai Gachanja, father to lawyer Maina Kiai.
"Burial of Mzee Kiai Gachanja (Maina Kiai Dad), Wangari Maathai planted a tree at the graveside in honour. Knelt down, placed soil with her bare hands, and watered it. Had lengthy stays at Mukurweini's Wajee Nature Camp, planting trees in adjacent villages. That lesson endures. Actions speak," he said.
The GBM has planted more than 51 million trees in the country since it was founded in 1977.
Kabando added that the destruction of forests in the country was caused by desertification due to climate change.
"It is not that we don't pray. We do! Especially our schools do lots of tree planting and care. Beyond prayer, action," he added.
He dismissed Ruto's remarks, saying for a tree to grow, there was more needed than just prayers.
According to the former legislator, groups and individuals taking part in the exercise needed support.
"KWS, KFS, and a host of volunteer groups, and NGOs do a lot in environmental conservation. President Ruto's drive for five billion trees deserves our support," he said.
"Sure, like most Kenyans, prayed. But for trees to grow, prayer isn't enough."
He said he has planted more than 500 seedlings in the ongoing rainy season.