Support conservation efforts, CS urges corporate bodies

Environment, Climate  Change and  Forestry  Cabinet  Secretary Soipan Tuya has said urged corporate bodies to support the government in its efforts to achieve enhanced tree cover across the country.

The CS says that because the government cannot achieve enhanced tree cover on its own, her ministry is implementing the ‘Adopt–a–Forest’ policy in order to engage corporate bodies in rehabilitating degraded forest areas.

Speaking at Kinale forest during a tree planting exercise yesterday, she said:  “Today, we’re going to sign such a  framework between the Kenya Forest Service, who are the custodians of all gazetted forests and Safaricom Limited. I am pleased to learn that Safaricom has also been engaging in other tree-growing initiatives in various forest blocks including Kakamega, South Marmanet, Kieni, Ontulili and Kimondi forests.”

 She noted that her Ministry has prepared an elaborate strategy that will guide the achievement of the 30 per cent tree cover by 2032 which will be launched soon.

 The CS who was flanked by Safaricom boss Peter Ndegwa, ABSA bank interim  CEO  Yusuf Omari, Kiambu governor  Kimani  Wamatangi and other senior ministry officials however revealed that 10.6 million hectares of land have been mapped out as the areas where tree planting will take place.