Nairobi — Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya has said the climate crisis facing the country, characterised by heavy rainfall and resultant flooding sweeping across the country, had reached catastrophic levels.
"If there was a time that anybody did doubt that we are in a catastrophic position with regards to the climate change crisis, this is the time that no one needs convincing," CS Tuya said.
Hon. Tuya spoke Monday at Nashulai Conservancy Training College in Narok West during a graduation ceremony of 39 Narok County enforcement officers where she was the chief guest at the invitation of Governor Patrick Ntutu.
Ms Tuya rallied Kenyans to make environmental conservation a personal responsibility and announced a Government plan to unveil a revitalized tree growing programme as the heavy rainfall subsides in coming days.
"The emergency response measures are short term. The long term that will make sure that we never get back to these catastrophic levels is to ensure restoration of our degraded ecosystems.
"To ensure we restore our degraded forests, our wetlands, our riparian areas, our water towers. The plan to plant 15 billion trees is the easiest responsibility we have," CS Tuya said, urging wananchi to plant trees in honour of Kenyans that lost lives to floods and those afflicted by the catastrophe.
"We are going to roll out a revitalized 15 billion national tree growing plan that will ensure that every Kenyan plays a role in the initiative," CS Tuya announced.
She added: "As national government, as cabinet we are going to be at the frontline. Each cabinet secretary, by the directive of the cabinet, has been assigned a site where they'll take responsibility to plant trees, to nurture them to maturity, and to set a side a day every month to rally Kenyans around tree planting. This will help us deal with the effects of climate change".
At the same time, Hon Tuya who was in Narok County for a day-long working tour during which she delivered government relief supplies to locals displaced by floods, thanked benefactors including county governments for supporting those affected by the floods.
"It is a time to stand with families of Kenyans who lost their lives. It is time to stand with Kenyans that have been displaced by floods. As the national government, we have taken a whole of government approach.
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"I am here to oversee emergency response in this county. I was in Kiambu County yesterday. My colleagues, His Excellency the President, His Excellency the Deputy President, we are spread all over the country to stand in solidarity with Kenyans.
"We are grateful for the support from county governments, Red Cross and so many of our partners. The multi-agency approach that we see across the country is commendable," CS Tuya noted.
