The Kenyan government has granted a special holiday for citizens to plant 100 million trees as part of its ambitious goal to plant 15 billion trees within a decade.
Environment Minister Soipan Tuya emphasized that this holiday empowers “each and every Kenyan to own the initiative.”
Public nurseries have made around 150 million seedlings available, and the government is distributing free seedlings at its forest agency centers for planting in designated public areas.
Additionally, Kenyans are urged to purchase at least two seedlings for planting on their private land.
President William Ruto is leading the tree-planting effort in Makueni, with cabinet ministers dispatched to other regions alongside county governors.
An internet app called Jaza Miti will monitor the initiative, allowing individuals and organizations to record activities such as plant species, numbers, and planting dates.
The app will assist in planting appropriate seedlings by matching the site with the suitable species, according to the environment ministry.
Despite positive responses, some challenges have been noted.
Environmentalist Teresa Muthoni praised the initiative as a “very good idea” but expressed concerns about the lack of organization to ensure widespread participation.
Muthoni highlighted the economic struggles faced by many individuals who need to prioritize work to support their families.
While the initiative has been well-received, concerns have been raised about the availability of suitable tree species, with some noting that many of the 150 million trees in public nurseries are exotic.
Muthoni emphasized the importance of planting the right trees in the right places.
The government has faced criticism for promoting tree planting while allegedly failing to curb illegal logging in public forests.
Minister Tuya defended the decision, stating that only forests designated for commercial purposes were affected, constituting about 5% of the total.
She argued that this was necessary to meet local wood demand, create jobs, and asserted that the government was actively combating illegal logging in other forests.
Minister Tuya emphasized that the tree-planting initiative aims to address food security, serve as a climate change mitigation strategy, and counteract cyclical droughts and floods in the country.
The exercise is expected to extend beyond the special holiday, with a target of 500 million trees planted by the end of the rainy season in December.
Source-BBC
