Kenya: The Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Alex Lemarkoko welcomed the Patron of SMACHS Foundation Charlene Ruto. They worked together for a tree growing exercise at Kapchumbe Block, Chepalungu Forest Station. The event, which was hosted in Bomet County on Tuesday aimed to mark the Foundation’s adoption of 202.4 ha land.
The land will be put into rehabilitation under the Adopt-a-forest initiative which is being carried out by the Kenya government. The Kenya forest service shared several images from the tree planting exercise on their social media.
The tree plantation exercise is being done in line with the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy. The President of Kenya had announced the project in December 2022 as a stp to combat climate change.
The project seeks to grow 15 billion trees by 2032 and bring the forest cover of Kenya to 30%. SMACHS Foundation has pledged to grow 10 million trees in support of the campaign.
Speaking at the event, Charlene Ruto pledged her Foundation’s support for community livelihood improvement initiatives that will help them adapt to the effects of climate change. She said the foundation will work with the Kachumbe Community and the local schools to establish tree nurseries that will supply seedlings for planting in the adopted site.
The CCF thanked the Foundation for participating in the greening of the country noting that tree growing and landscape restoration was the responsibility of all citizens. He urged the community to also grow fruit trees on their farms saying that they will play the double role of improving nutrition and absorbing caron from the air.
The CCF informed the local youths that they will soon be engaged under the Climate Works programme to take part in several environmental activities including tree growing. He also took the opportunity to caution the residents against engaging in illegal grazing in the forest because animals were destroying the young seedlings.
Others attendants who are present during the event were the County Commissioner Dr. Ahmed Omar, the Regional Forest Conservator (RFC) Martin Mamati, the Coordinator of the 15 billion Campaign Secretariat Ms. Susan Boit and the County Forest Conservator (CFC) Nicholas Baari among others.