Four organisations, a university and Christian youth groups have joined hands to educate Kajiado Maasai communities on the effects of climate change and environmental issues.
The team, which is led by the St Paul’s University student leader, Victor Solitei, started their mission in the Kajiado East sub-county on Wednesday evening when they planted 2,000 tree seedlings at Mashuuru primary school.
The 2,000 seedlings were distributed to 20 schools in the Mashuuru sub-county and were planted the same day.
“This is the first phase of our movement which we started today at Imaroro primary school. From here, going forward, we shall expand our wings to other schools and institutions with water,” said Solitei.
Solitei thanked the Dedan Kimathi Foundation for the donation of 2,000 seedlings, the Rotary Club of Limuru, the Rotaract Club of St Paul’s University and the Young Theologians Initiative for Climate Action for their financial support.
Solitei said Kajiado is mostly a semi-arid region which is most affected by drought seasons in the country due to overgrazing and illegal cutting of trees for charcoal production.
“We want to encourage our people to plant ten trees for any single tree they cut in their farms. Climate change is real and if we do not act now to change the way we live, we shall all perish,” he said.
The student leader said most boreholes in the Kajiado region are drying up because of climate change and that water sources that existed 30 years ago in Ngong, Nkurruman and Loitokitok are also drying up.
“We are looking forward to phase two where all those who will not have benefited from the first phase will be considered first,” Solitei said.
Duncan Kimani of the Rotary Club of Limuru said they have identified 20 schools with access to water and fenced compounds which they will move to plant trees in the second phase of their program.
“The need for water and fenced compounds is for sustainability purposes as well. Before anyone is given a tree, we have a consent/agreement form for the individual representing each school to sign,” said Kimani.
The recordkeeping and follow-up matters of the trees that will have been planted will be assessed every three months before moving to the next phase, said Kimani.
Mary Wamboi of the Young Theologians Initiative for Climate Action said climate change is real and the people of Kenya should not only wait for government or big organisations to take action in correcting mistakes.
“Everyone should wake up and better their environments. We need to plant trees and increase our forest cover. The government should stop cutting down trees in our forests to burn charcoal,” said Wamboi.
Victoria Wanjiku, the President of the Rotaract Club of St. Paul's University, appealed to the Maasai communities to plant trees during the long rainy season in April and October to increase the forest cover in the region.
She said drilling boreholes in Kajiado for the people and livestock is an expensive venture for the government.
“We need to revive our old springs that died out because of our carelessness in cutting the trees on our hills. We need to look for other water sources other than relying on boreholes,” said Wanjiko.
The chairperson of the program, James Koinato, appealed to other organisations operating inside and outside of Kajiado to donate tree seedlings to them.
“We have started a movement that will not only plant trees and leave them to dry, but we shall monitor them and ensure they grow to be big trees,” said Koinato.
Koinato said many seedlings being grown in schools dry up because of water.
He used the event to appeal to the county and national governments to provide water trucks for such programs as tree planting.
He said his project is christened “Reclaiming Kajiado Greenery Campaign” and is expected to expand throughout the region in years to come.
The event was attended by the Imaroro Ward MCA Daniel Kukan and local chiefs led by senior chief Mrs Eunice Meibuko.