Top corporates and NGOs have launched a week-long tree planting drive that targets to plant 10,000 trees seedlings at the Coast. The stakeholders include Global Peace Foundation, Chandaria Foundation, Safal MRM Foundation, The Standard Media Group and other key partners.
Speaking during the launch at Mabati Rolling Training Institute in Kilifi County, Daniel Juma, Global Peace Foundation–Kenya country director said they plan to plant the tree seedlings in Kilifi and Mombasa counties.
The target spaces are schools, churches, mosques and government offices to ensure the seedlings are well taken care of.
He added that the drive has been pushed by the Covid-19 pandemic that has seen a surge in demand for medical oxygen.
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“Why do we have less people dying of Covid-19 in the rural areas?” posed Juma who revealed that the numbers are low in rural areas because of cleaner air compared to urban centres.
And as the country is grappling with a shortage of medicinal oxygen during this pandemic, Juma added that “this gas can be gotten by planting trees across the country and that is why we are on a high gear towards this drive.”
Juma said they plan to plant one million trees seedling by June this year as the World marks World’s Environmental Day.
Kamal Hassan Khan the business director at Mabati Rolling Mills in the coastal region said they are supporting this drive as trees play an important role in producing clean air and attracting rain.
“It is difficult to stay a minute without oxygen and this has been witnessed during this pandemic. With the mushrooming of industries in the world, we need more trees so as to fight against climatic change,” said Khan.
Elvis Fondo of Kenya Forest Services in Kilifi Country said they were at 7.2 per cent forest cover which is still below the 10 per cent target mark.
“We at KFS can’t manage to bring the forest cover to 10 per cent without partnership. I call upon Kenyans to plant only a manageable number of trees rather than planting many trees which they won’t take care of,” said Fondo.
He urged Kenyans to plant trees at the start of rainy season to maximise on the rains.
“Plant trees just like you plant your crop, during the start of the rains so that the trees can utilize the rainwater just like your crops”, Fondo said.
He called upon Kenyans to know the best tree species which do well in different climatic regions of the country.
