Staff from the State Department for Public Investments and Assets Management and the Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Directorate today planted 50,000 trees at Makutano Forest in Kericho County, meeting the State Department’s annual tree-growing performance target.
The exercise supports the President’s 15 Billion Tree-Growing Programme, which aims to increase Kenya’s tree cover and strengthen the country’s response to climate change.
The PPP Director General, Eng. Kefa Seda led the exercise and read remarks from the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Public Investments and Assets Management, Mr. Cyrell Odede Wagunda.
The Principal Secretary said the Government had allocated the Kagongo-Makutano area in Kericho County to the State Department for tree-growing activities, setting for it a target of 50,000 trees this year.
He said tree growing helps restore degraded ecosystems, conserve biodiversity and prevent soil erosion, among other benefits. He called on institutions and communities to sustain the ongoing Government’s efforts to protect and expand Kenya’s forest cover.
Today’s exercise brings the State Department’s cumulative number of trees planted in the area to 96,000.
Eng. Seda said environmental conservation requires collective action and urged Government institutions, communities and citizens to take an active role in protecting and restoring the environment.
The initiative also supports the sustainability objectives of major PPP infrastructure investments, including the Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit Highway PPP Project, which lies within the corridor.
The Kenya Government is currently working towards a target of growing 15 billion trees by 2032.
