The Government has initiated an ambitious climate action program with the objective of planting over one million trees each month across the nation.
This initiative, which will be led by all 3,950 local chiefs, is part of the broader goal to plant 15 billion trees by the year 2032, as directed by President Ruto.
The national launch of this initiative, referred to as Chief’s Climate Action Day, was presided over by Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, Raymond Omollo, at Nderi Primary School in Kikuyu Sub-County yesterday.
During his address at the event, Omollo highlighted the detrimental impacts of climate change, such as extended droughts and recurrent flooding in various regions of the country.
He emphasized that climate change represents a significant threat to national security and undermines peace efforts, urging for unified actions to combat this pressing issue.
“Indeed, we recognize that peace, security, and climate change are closely linked. In Kenya, we face numerous climate-related risks to peace and security,” he noted.
Prolonged droughts have led to conflicts among communities due to heightened competition for limited resources such as water, pasture, and food, as stated by him.
Regions characterized as arid and semi-arid, including the North Rift, North Eastern, and Upper Eastern areas, have experienced conflicts stemming from severe climatic conditions.
He pointed out that climate-induced migration has resulted in social tensions, particularly in Nairobi, where recurring flooding along the Nairobi River has displaced residents.
Such migrations exert pressure on available resources and heighten the risk of unrest, he observed.
Omollo indicated that the initiative led by the Chiefs is part of the Government’s strategy to address the urgent need for customized early warning systems and information networks to tackle the country’s specific climate-security challenges.
Under this new initiative, the Interior Ministry will assist each Chief in mobilizing their communities to coordinate the planting of a minimum of 250 tree seedlings on the first Friday of every month.
“This initiative activates the invaluable leadership of our chiefs across the nation, who will mobilize and coordinate at the grassroots level to ensure the success of climate interventions within their communities,” said the PS.
Omollo stated that all chiefs will oversee and document progress by utilizing standardized tools to guarantee the proper care of trees.
He emphasized that the administrators would be acknowledged as climate champions in this initiative, showcasing how localized actions can lead to significant impacts.
He noted that the launch represented a transformation in the Government’s approach to involving Chiefs in National programs, emphasizing innovative strategies that prioritize results and concrete outcomes.
Furthermore, he asserted that Chiefs are ideally positioned to assist the Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which focuses on placing the fundamental units of society at the core of all State interventions.
“Chiefs are at the heart of our strategy as National Government Administrative Officers, coordinating resources and efforts at the most local level,” he said.
Omollo expressed strong confidence in the ability of the administrators to achieve success in the climate initiative, attributing this to their close ties with the communities they serve.
He noted that the Government has made significant strides in tree planting, highlighting that 34 million trees were planted under the guidance of the Chiefs during last year’s National Tree Growing Day.
He further mentioned that his State Department has increased this number to 99 million trees, nearly reaching the annual target set by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
He encouraged Kenyans to support the Chiefs in this important initiative.
Among those present at the event were Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko and various senior officials from both national and county levels.
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