Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi is now calling on Kenyans to sustain the momentum of planting trees describing it as a noble course that will go a long way in addressing climate change.
He was speaking at the Wajir KDF camp when he joined Wajir County Commissioner Karuku Ngumo and Base Commander Wajir Air Base Brigadier Sane in the National tree planting exercise.
“As a county, we've borne the brunt of Climate change, and this initiative is a positive call to help reduce the impacts of climate change. My appeal to fellow Wajirians, in every corner of our county, is to make it a habit of planting trees,” he said.
He added:
“I encourage everyone to continue planting trees in their surroundings and actively engage in future tree-planting initiatives. This ongoing commitment remains pivotal to safeguarding the environment for future generations."
Wajir County like other counties in Northeastern has been experiencing high effects of climate change, from recurring droughts which have left millions of livestock dead to locust invasion among other challenges.
The governor who also led a similar exercise at the Wajir county headquarters compound said the initiative, driven by a shared commitment to contribute patriotically to national endeavours, is aimed at mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change.
“The cumulative effect of planting numerous trees and plants contributes significantly to carbon sequestration, helping offset carbon emissions and combating global warming. Additionally, the enhanced green cover serves as a natural solution to various environmental challenges,” he said.
On his part, the county commissioner said the government is aiming to increase the country’s tree cover from 7.4%, which is 3.6% short of the constitutionally accepted 10% forest cover by 2030.
Environments CS Soipan Tuya said 150 million plantable seedlings are available at government offices across the country and will be taken to designated county planting sites.
The deficit, she said, is available at a fee in private seedling nurseries.
To mark this day, the government intends to plant 500 million tree seedlings during the nationwide tree-planting exercise as part of the government’s pledge to plant 15 billion trees in the next 10 years, as part of the broader picture to combat deforestation and increase the country’s tree cover.
Speaking in Garissa when he led the exercise at Garissa University, the Interior CS announced that his ministry is treating the issue of climate change as a matter of national security threat.
Kindiki said that due to the recurring droughts in different parts of the country caused by climate change, some of the pastoralist communities have been roped in conflicts for water and pasture while at some point they clash with farmers leading to insecurity.
“We consider climate change as a serious threat to our national security. We have defined it as one of the five major security concerns in the country today,” Kindiki said.
The CS further directed all chiefs and their assistants to continue with tree planting sensitizations in their areas and ensure that all citizens plant trees regularly to combat climate change.