Baringo — The Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir has assured Kenyans that the country was on the right track to becoming a green country.
Speaking during the national tree planting exercise in Chemususu Forest in Eldama Ravine, Barigo County, Chirchir reiterated that Kenya was a superpower in matters geothermal development.
"For those who don't know we are currently number six globally in geothermal development, we are providing leadership in terms of geothermal development, we are about 93 per cent green country," said the CS.
The Cabinet Secretary thanked the president for setting up the day that enables the planting of trees to enable the achievement of 15 billion trees and 30 per cent forest cover by 2032.
"Landscape and ecosystem restoration program aims to grow and nurture 15billion trees. This will lead to restoration and conservation of 10.6 million acres of degraded landscape and ecosystems. Increase forest cover from nine per cent in 2022 to 30 percent in 2032," added the CS.
He said achievement of the target will help the country to experience better conservation of biodiversity, sustained livelihoods, improved climate resilience and improved socio-economic development of communities.
The exercise the CS said target to plant 100 million trees and escalate to 500 million trees by the end of this short rain period.
He added that the ministry of energy is involved since they know hydroelectric generation which stands at 30 per cent of power produced in Kenya relies on water.
"We have also gone back to parliament to improve the carbon credit act so that communities conserving forests can earn from them," Chirchir added.
He praised Governor Cheboi's call to plant more fruit and food trees so as to benefit economically and with sufficient food supply.
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On matters electricity the CS said the proximity of power to homes has improved from 22 percent in 2017 to now 75 percent and optimistic that it may get to 100 percent in the next three years in Baringo.
He asked the residents to take advantage of the short rains to plant trees so that by the end of it will be strongly rooted and improve its chances of maturing.
The host governor Benjamin Cheboi reiterated the importance of growing trees saying it will ease off conflict for communities fighting for water resources.
He reminisced the old days when they would tour lake Baringo whose waters as clean but now is soiled due to siltation as a result of bare land.
Cheboi asked the agencies involved to ensure that 30 percent of seedlings they give are fruit seedlings so that they can enhance food security as well as earn the farmers a living.
Eldama Ravine Member of Parliament Musa Sirma said he is working on a legislation in parliament to set aside 5 per cent of the National Government Constituency Development Fund to support environment conversation efforts.
"it was initially pegged at 2 percent but it was never put to the right use, the money would be diverted at the end of every year to build toilets and such like items," said the MP.
He said the bill was at that reading and will be signed into law this week and called on youths to start tree nurseries project so as t cash on the sale of 15 billion tree seedlings target.
A total of 5000 tree seedlings were planted today toping up to 16000 seedlings as 11,000 seedlings were planted yesterday in the same Chemusus forest. - Kna
