The ICT Authority has completed the planting of fifty thousand trees in an effort to drive the country’s reforestation agenda.
The milestone, attained on the backdrop of the presidential directive to green Kenya by planting 15 billion trees by 2032 was undertaken at Pemja (Old Bonjoe Forest Block) in Nandi County in collaboration with Kenya Forest Service, Old Bonjoe community and nearby primary schools.
Speaking on the milestone, Stanley Kamanguya, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the ICT Authority noted that the milestone highlights the collaborative spirit of various stakeholders, including government agencies, local communities, and environmental organizations, working together to achieve the ambitious target which is of a greater value to our nation.
“We thank our partners for their great support which has enabled us to plant 50,000 tree seedlings in our two-day tree planting exercise. This greening initiative is not only about planting trees but also about fostering a culture of environmental stewardship among Kenyans. I am happy that we partnered with local primary school and the results are amazing,” said Kamanguya.
He added that going forward, they are keen to collaborate with more organisations and drive the exercise in other parts of the country, with a keen focus being on planting and nurturing the forests.
“One of the critical things in this exercise is taking care of the trees planted. As the ICT Authority, we have agreed with Kenya Forest Service that they will help us with best practices of taking care of the forests. We shall keep on doing this as directed by our President and this journey does not stop here.”
The Authority also sponsored fifteen pupils from Pemja Primary School who also actively participated in tree planting with brand new school uniforms as a reward towards young people who are supporting the initiative.
The government has adopted a multi-agency cooperation approach as a key element towards the achievement of the tree-planting initiative.
