The Maa community has been urged to plant more trees so as to increase forest cover and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Environment and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya, speaking during  the Emanyatta Cultural Festival in Kilgoris, noted that planting trees is a matter of urgency as the effects of climate change are being felt all over the world. She challenged every person to take it upon themselves to plant trees.

The Emanyatta Festival marks the end of warrior-ship for Maa morans and the beginning of eldership.

She reiterated that President William Ruto has launched a programme that will see over 15 billion trees planted in a period of 10 years. “This translates to each individual in Kenya planting about 300 trees in 10 years. We do not only want to plant trees but also to nurture them. This can be achieved if we all work together,” she said.

She called on leaders to lead by example by planting trees at every function they attend. “When we arrived in Emanyatta, the first thing we did was to plant trees. This is a good show of leadership by example which we want every Kenyan to embrace,” said the CS.

The cultural event was attended by a number of Maa leaders, among them governors Patrick Ntutu (Narok), Jonathan Leleliit (Samburu), Joseph ole Lenku (Kajiado), Narok Woman Representative Rebecca Tonkei and Narok West MP Kitilai Ntutu.

Her sentiments come at a time when Narok County Commissioner Isaac Masinde has called on the public to take advantage of the ongoing rains to plant trees in their farms, including fruit trees like avocado, mangoes and oranges that do well in the region.