State to plant 760m trees, says Raila

Saturday, 04 June 2011 00:05 BY PMPS

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has challenged Kenyans to plant trees and embrace the emerging green economic revolution to stem changing climatic patterns attributed to global warming. He said the government targets to plant at least 760 million trees within the next six years to scale up the forest coverage in the country.
The country’s forest cover has dwindled from 12 per cent at independence to the current 1.7 per cent. Wanton destruction of forests, and uncontrolled human activities have resulted in the pollution of the ecosystem, Raila said.
The Premier was addressing a public baraza yesterday at Rangwenyo Primary School in Nyamira County after planting a tree at Nkoro forest where he launched a mass tree planting drive under the Greening Kenya Initiative.
GKI is a flagship programme coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister which targets tree planting and diffusion of green technologies throughout the country.
Addressing the same meeting, Public Works minister Chris Obure thanked the PM for spearheading efforts to conserve the environment. Obure said Kenyans are fully supporting the PM because climate change is a grim reality that poses a major threat to humanity and sustainability. Others who addressed the meeting included Public Service minister Dalmas Otieno and West Mugirango MP James Gesami.