Kenya: Kenya Forest Service participated in the 13th Mara Day celebrations held at Sekenani, Narok County. The event was hosted under the theme of “Flowing Forward Together: Conserving Mara Basin Ecosystem for Sustainable Biodiversity and Climate Resilience.”
The event highlights the importance of preserving the Mara River Basin and its surrounding ecosystems. During the event, the Kenya forest Service highlighted that they are working towards the preservation of the Narok County.
The officials have shared that they have planted 40,000 tree seedlings in the county in August. The county has a tree cover of 20.09%. The county administration said that they want to contribute 145 million trees towards Kenya’s goal to plant 15 billion trees by 2032.
Abdi Dubat, Principal Secretary for East African Community Affairs was the guest of honor at the 13th Mara Day celebrations. He delivered a keynote speech at the event and highlighted Mara River’s significance as a shared national resource and world-renowned wildlife habitat.
He also said that the river, spanning 395 kilometres across Kenya and Tanzania, faces increasing risks due to climate change.
Dubat stressed that the initiative to plant 15 billion trees is not just about increasing forest cover. It is also about restoring the ecological balance of the country.
The afforestation effort will help in reducing carbon emissions, and aligns with Kenya’s bottom-up economic model.
He said that they need collaborative effort required to protect the Mara River whose source lies in the Mau Forest. The attendants of the celebration emphasized the critical need to conserve this vital ecosystem for future generations.
The members of the community recognize that the Mara River is a lifeline for both wildlife and human communities in the region. The members of the community have shared that the celebrations featured an exhibition.
During the event where the Kenya Forest Service showcased its interventions and conservation activities in the Mau Forest Complex and Narok County. Before the main event the organizers had hosted a scientific conference.
During the event, Kenya Forest Service officers presented papers on biodiversity conservation and vegetation restoration in the Mara Basin. The event brought together various dignitaries and environmental experts.
The attendants of the event include:
- Dr Masinde Bwire the Executive Secretary of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission
- Edith Mwanje the Permanent Secretary from Uganda
- Koech Tamalinye the Deputy Governor of Narok County
- David Sankok representing the East African Legislative Assembly
- Pamela Aloo, Vice Chancellor of Maasai Mara University
- Ivan Mutambo, Regional Commissioner for Mara Region Tanzania
- PLO Lumumba, renowned legal scholar and environmental advocate.
- Benjamin Kinyili, Regional Forest Conservator Mau represented the Kenya Forest Service at the celebration.