Kenya: The new Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department of Forestry of Kenya, Gitonga Mugambi, has visited Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Headquarters in Karura to familiarize himself with the operations and programmes being implemented by the Service in the management of the country’s public forests.
Principal Secretary (PS) Mugambi, who was, until his transfer to the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Irrigation in the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, inspected a quarter guard mounted by KFS Rangers in his honour before proceeding to plant a tree.
The PS Mugambi, who was accompanied by the Secretary of Administration, Isaiah Nakoru and the Conservation Secretary, Alfred Gichu, was received by the KFS Board Chairman Job Chirchir and the Acting Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr Alex Lemarkoko, who briefed him about the various programmes under implementation including the Presidential 30% tree cover campaign which targets to have 15 billion trees planted by the year 2032.
While addressing members of the senior management team, the PS said that KFS had a huge task as the custodians of Kenya’s forest resources to ensure their sustainable management for the development of the country.
He noted that the Service was the focal point of all issues pertaining to climate change, being the agency which has the biggest impact in the fight against the adverse effects of global warming.
The PS informed the KFS management that they had to concentrate all their efforts on realizing the Presidential directive on the 30% tree cover and urged them to keep a daily track of the tree planting activities in the country. The PS assured the KFS team of his full support and that of the Ministry in the management of Kenya’s forests.