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First Lady Rachel Ruto has rolled out an ambitious initiative with The Nature Conservancy, targeting to plant more than one million trees at Kaptagat water tower in Elgeyo Marakwet.

 Rachel, who presided over the exercise organised by the Eldoret-Iten Water Fund, saw more than 13,000 trees planted and a “Mama Fruit Garden” established in the nearby Kiebor Primary School.

 According to the First Lady, her office will also involve schools in tree planting in a bid to empower learners on the importance of environment conservation at a young age.

 The exercise has so far seen 400,000 trees planted in Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet watersheds.

 The partnership is supported by various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, International Fund for Agriculture and Development, Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company and local Community Forest Associations.

 “We urge our people to switch from firewood and charcoal to clean fuels to reduce deforestation and exposure to household pollution, which is estimated to affect more than 23,000 Kenyans annually,” said the First Lady.

 The event also saw the donation of 50,000 tree seedlings to local communities in support of the First Lady’s goal of planting 500 million trees by 2032.

 This will contribute to President William Ruto’s call to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 and increase Kenya’s tree cover by over 30 percent.

 According to the President, this will eventually lead to the rehabilitation and restoration of 10.6 million hectares in the 290 constituencies, as well as some specially selected ecosystems and water towers threatened.