Forest Day: Governor Malombe Urged Households To Grow 20 Trees Every Rain Season

By Hopkin Reporter.

Kitui Governor Dr Julius Malombe (EGH) has set a target of ensuring each household and public institution are supported to grow at least 20 tree seedlings in every rain season.

In his speech read by county Minister of Energy, environment, forestry, natural and minerals resources Richard John Mwendandu At St Mary’s Mutitu Girls secondary school in Mutitu kaliku ward, Kitui East, during International day of forests themed FORESTS AND HEALTH Stated that,

“Kitui county was rated as the most improved county in Kenya for increasing forest cover from 3.9% to the current 7.08%. We are targeting to attain 30% forest cover by 2032 according to the presidential directive aimed at ensuring at least 15Billion trees seedlings are grown”.

Kitui county have been awarded two trophies by both Kenya forest service and NETFUND because of increasing forest cover.

The county will be working with partners to initiate processing and value addition to indigenous trees and forest products such as Adansonia digitata ( baobab,Namba), Tamarindus indica ( Nzumula), Balanites aegyptiaca ( Ndului) among others.

“My government has committed to be allocating at least 1.5 % of the annual county development in order to match donor funding to support community resilience livelihoods projects which includes tree growing and forest conservation, water harvesting technologies, climate smart agriculture technologies among others”.

Present was Chief Officers David Soi Masai (Environment and Forestry) and Henry Ngilu Nyamai (Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources), Environment Director Benjamin Mukulo and Dr. Grace Mutia, the Climate Change, Resilience, Adaptation and Mitigation Advisor to the Governor, Assistant Director for Environment Dominic Mumbu, who is is also the National Chairperson of the Caucus of Directors in charge of Environment from the 47 counties, Kitui Deputy County Ecosystem Conservator Stanley Marioko and Bernard Kigwa, a Researcher at the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), ACC Mutitu North, Ward administrators, St Mary’s Mutitu Girls Students and hundreds of Members of the public.

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