Murang’a County has mobilised about 6,700 people to plant 200,000 tree seedlings within one hour as part of a national campaign to expand tree cover and restore degraded ecosystems.
The exercise will be held on October 10 during Mazingira Day, with Murang’a among counties participating in a coordinated tree-growing challenge targeting six million seedlings across the country.
Speaking during the launch of Mazingira Week at Murang’a University of Technology, County Commissioner Hassan Bule said the county had set aside about 100 hectares for the tree-growing exercise at Del Monte and Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) land.
“Murang’a is ready for the exercise. We have enough land, seedlings and manpower, and we are confident that we will meet our target,” Bule said.
He explained that the week-long programme would bring together government agencies, universities, schools, private companies, communities and other stakeholders in activities aimed at improving the environment and promoting responsible waste management.
The activities lined up include cleaning St Mary’s Primary School, a town clean-up in Sabasaba and greening sections of the highway linking Kenol, Makuyu and Sabasaba.
Bule noted that the activities would culminate in the national tree-growing exercise, which will be led by President William Ruto in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County.
The county administration said security agencies, including the Kenya Defence Forces and National Police Service, as well as other government departments, would join the exercise alongside the private sector and local communities.
Bule explained that the mobilisation of people and resources was already underway, with organisers confident that the county would achieve its target within the stipulated period.
He said Murang’a’s target of 200,000 seedlings would require all participating organisations to work together to ensure the seedlings are planted within the one-hour window.
The commissioner noted that about 80 hectares at Del Monte and 17 hectares at KALRO’s research centre in Gatanga had been identified for the exercise, with different tree species selected according to the suitability of the sites.
He called on residents to participate in the environmental activities, stressing that tree growing should be viewed as a long-term responsibility rather than an event restricted to Mazingira Day.
“Environmental conservation is essential for the health of our ecosystems and for posterity. We must all take responsibility for improving our environment,” he stressed.
The county currently has a tree cover of 27.8 per cent, equivalent to about 70,237.19 hectares, while forest cover stands at 16.68 per cent, covering approximately 42,135.75 hectares.
The tree-growing exercise is expected to further increase the country’s tree cover and contribute to efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Mazingira Week, which runs from October 5 to October 10, is expected to see more than 17.24 million trees planted across the country.
Separately, the Presidential Green Challenge scheduled for October 10 is targeting six million trees to be planted simultaneously within one hour across selected counties.
The initiative is part of the government’s broader efforts to increase Kenya’s tree cover and restore degraded ecosystems through increased tree growing and environmental conservation.
Murang’a University of Technology Vice Chancellor Prof Dickson Nyariki said the institution would mobilise its staff and students to support the tree-growing campaign and other activities lined up during the week.
Nyariki observed that universities had an important role to play in creating environmental awareness and ensuring conservation initiatives translated into practical action within communities.
He explained that the university would continue with tree-growing initiatives even after Mazingira Week, noting that environmental protection required sustained efforts to address the effects of climate change.
“Environmental conservation should be a continuous exercise if we are to effectively address the adverse effects of climate change,” Nyariki said.
The national tree-growing campaign is part of the government’s wider programme to increase Kenya’s tree cover and restore degraded ecosystems, with a target of growing 15 billion trees by 2032.
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Instant analysis
The county currently has a tree cover of 27.8 per cent, equivalent to about 70,237.19 hectares, while forest cover stands at 16.68 per cent, covering approximately 42,135.75 hectares
