In a nationwide endeavour touted as one of the most ambitious of its kind, the Government of Kenya set aside last Monday as a unique public holiday in a bid to spur citizens to plant an incredible 100 million trees throughout every region of the nation. The commendable initiative was met with great enthusiasm, with hundreds of Nairobi residents taking part, despite the seasonal torrential downpour.
President William Ruto delineated a plan, pledging that by the year 2032, a staggering 15 billion trees would have been planted to bolster the nation’s forest cover. This comes as a much-needed move in the aftermath of the greatest drought witnessed in the Horn of Africa region in the last four decades.
Civil servants, enthusiastic students, and families congregated at multiple points in the bustling city of Nairobi on Monday, braving the rains to contribute towards this landmark green initiative. Joan Kirika, a government official, planted about 50 trees and, speaking to AFP, praised the endeavour as ‘powerful and necessary for the planet’ in the wake of the country’s catastrophic drought faced in the recent past.
“I hope we will continue to celebrate this day every year, not necessarily as a public holiday but as an annual reminder to take care of the environment and think about the planet,” Kirika added, with aspirations for a continuous environmental remembrance.
President Ruto, who faced significant criticism from environmental groups, had earlier announced the resumption of logging after a five-year hiatus in July. He then justified the move, stating it was targeted at boosting employment and invigorating sectors of the economy dependent on forestry products. The logging operations confessedly encompassed only mature trees present in state-managed and state-planted forests.
Last month witnessed a notable development as a court of law in Kenya suspended Ruto’s decision to recommence logging, albeit authorising the felling of 5,000 hectares of mature trees.
The robust forestry sector had a 1.6% contribution to Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) last year, according to official data released by the Kenyan government. Furthermore, the same source predicted an increase in forest coverage to encompass an estimated 8.8% of the nation by 2022.
Employment statistics also reveal the forestry industry’s significant role in the Kenyan economy, directly employing approximately 50,000 people and indirectly providing livelihoods to around 300,000 individuals. This is a welcome boost for the East African nation currently grappling with issues of unemployment and inflation.
All in all, this mammoth endeavour undertaken by the Kenyan government ensures not only a promising increase in forest cover but also offers a glimmer of hope for the economies that depend on this sector. Monday’s nationwide tree planting initiative signals Kenya’s courageous stride towards a greener future, even as it continues to tackle socio-economic challenges. It remains to be seen how this robust re-forestry plan will unfold in the coming years.
Image Credit: David Ballew on Unsplash
