First Lady Margaret Kenyatta launches NBK forestation initiative in Northern Kenya

Nairobi, Kenya: Kenya’s First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has lauded the National Bank Kenya for contributing to environment under the bank’s forestation and town greening programme.

Speaking in Mandera where she officially launched the bank’s Northern Kenya greening initiative, Mrs Kenyatta expressed her surprise and delight at the bank’s achievement, with over 2.5 million trees planted around the country.

The bank’s effort, the First Lady said, is going a long way to mitigate effects of climate change.  Kenya’s forest cover had reduced to 1.7 per cent by 2002 following a period of environmental degradation and has been gradually improving, reaching 6 per cent in 2012. 

“It is such efforts as this one by NBK that are helping the government move closer to the 10 per cent forest cover goal recommended by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

 “I am indeed proud to unveil in Mandera two developments courtesy of the National Bank of Kenya: their tree planting programme in Northern Kenya, and the Mandera National Amanah branch (the Islamic banking division of National Bank of Kenya) which will increase access to banking services for Kenyans in this region,” said Mrs. Kenyatta.

NBK’s Managing Director and CEO, Munir Sheikh Ahmed said: “We are committed to ensuring that the change happening inside National Bank under our transformation plan is embodied in the environment around us through the tree planting cause. We are alive to the higher calling of National Bank as a bank that carries a lot of Kenyans aspirations,” he said.  

The Bank has joined hands with the Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Scouts Movement and schools across Kenya to make the initiative a success and all trees planted are nurtured through these partnerships.