Kenya: The President of the Republic of Kenya, Dr William Samoei Ruto, today presided over the passing-out parade of 2,664 Kenya Forest Service ranger recruits from the Forest Law Enforcement Academy (FoLEA) at NYS Gilgil in Nakuru County.
It is anticipated to be the highest number of rangers the Service has ever produced at a go, nearing almost half the Service’s strength since its inception.
While officiating the colourful event, President Ruto noted that by enhancing the human capital at the Service, forest rangers are strategic drivers of national landscape and ecosystem restoration programmes.
Ruto also derived the importance of forest protection and sustainable management as a direct link that influences the national economic growth, underscoring the vital role that the forest ranger owes the country.
“You enter our national economic transformation equation as the people’s trustees and guarantors of fundamental constitutional mandate and custodians of our forests value chain,” he stated.
The President inspired the cohort as they took on their duties with an emphasis on the crucial climate change mitigation remedies that forest resources offer to humanity and hence urged the rangers to diligently take on their roles of safeguarding the environment by protecting these resources.
Noting that there have been cases of a few rogue personnel at the Service abetting criminal activities, President Ruto ordered a thorough ‘clean up’ of the Kenya Forest Service to rid it of such rogue and corrupt officers effective immediately.
At the same time, the President has called for a collective approach among state agencies, the private sector and members of the public in tree growing towards the achievement to enable the country to attain 30% tree cover by 2032.
The President encouraged members of the public to support the government in planting an available stock of 150 million seedlings during the expected short rains.
The President was joined by Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Soipan Tuya, Nakuru County Governor Susan Kihika, the Ministry’s Principal Secretaries, Mugambi Gitonga (Forestry) and Eng. Festus Ng’eno, KFS Board of Directors led by the Chairman, Job Chirchir, the Chief Conservator of Forests, Alex Lemarkoko, among other senior government leaders.