National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah has defended the government over concerns that a lot of taxpayers’ money might have been pumped into the tree planting initiative on Monday.
Ichung’wah said the funds used in the exercise had been budgeted for and that no additional funds went into the exercise.
He said some of the trees planted on Monday were from donors and corporate organisations which are at the forefront of taking part in the climate change mitigation measures.
Ichung’wah further noted that more seedlings were from key institutions funded by the government such as the Kenya Forest Service and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI).
“Rather than support from corporate organisations that have supported us with trees, we have trees that we have gotten from KFS, KEFRI,” he said.
“The budget being utilised are budgets that are already appropriated by the national assembly for use in such work and therefore there is no new budget as people may want to imagine,” he added.
Kenyans had questioned the budget put into the tree planting exercise which took place nationwide on Monday.
Of concern was the amount invested in the various government officials such as the Cabinet Secretaries who traversed the country in choppers to take part in the tree planting drive.
For instance, Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka said that even though it is not time for the country to ignore issues to do with the environment, it was uncalled for CSs to use choppers.
Onyonka said some of the services in forestry are devolved, noting that what the government needs to do is to prepare the counties to pick specific days when the exercise can be done.
“Inasmuch as this was a very good idea, the heartbreak is very simple, did we have to get a CS to be in Kilifi, then he takes a helicopter from Kilifi to go and plant a tree in Busia?” Onyonka said.
“The minister didn’t have to go and plant a tree in Kilifi, after all his ministry has nothing to do with what is happening in Kilifi and that is Tourism, this guy then flies all the way, if it is true it is really crazy,” he added.