Government directs chiefs to plant 250 trees monthly
Ministry of Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo. He has said that all chiefs in Kenya will be required to plant at least 250 trees every month.
All chiefs in Kenya will now be required to plant at least 250 trees on the first Friday of every month to help achieve the goal of planting 15 billion trees in the country by 2032.
This new directive was announced by the Principal Secretary for Internal Security and Administration, Dr Raymond Omollo, on Monday, November 4, 2024, as he presided over the national launch of the Chief's Climate Action Day at Nderi Primary School in Kikuyu, Kiambu County.
The chiefs, currently totalling 3,950 in the country, will be asked to mobilise and coordinate the planting of the 250 tree seedlings at the grassroots level. They will also monitor and report progress using standardised tools to ensure that the trees are well cared for.
Dr Omollo said the country is currently facing adverse effects of climate change, including prolonged droughts and recurrent floods in different parts of the country - things that pose a serious threat to national security and undermine peace initiatives.
"Indeed, we recognise that peace, security and climate change are closely linked. In Kenya, we face numerous climate-related risks to peace and security," he said.
The PS said that prolonged droughts have led to conflicts between communities due to competition for scarce resources such as water, pasture and food.
This has been the case in semi-arid regions such as the North Rift, Eastern and Upper Eastern regions where several conflicts have been recorded due to harsh climatic conditions as communities fight for water and pasture for their animals.
In urban areas, increased climate-induced migration has created social tensions as people are forced to move from their homes and settle in other areas, as witnessed in Nairobi, where thousands of homes were destroyed by the flooding of the Nairobi River.
These movements, the PS said, put pressure on resources and increased the potential for unrest.
The chief-led initiative, Dr Omollo said, is part of the government's response to the pressing need for tailored early warning systems and information networks to address the country's unique climate security challenges.
The government, through the Ministry of Interior, will provide support to the chiefs to ensure they have the necessary resources to plant the trees.
"This initiative activates the invaluable leadership of our chiefs across the country, who will mobilise and coordinate at the grassroots level to ensure the success of climate action in their communities," said Dr Omollo.
The government will also recognise local administrators as climate champions in the effort, "demonstrating how local action can have real impact."
"The chiefs are at the heart of our strategy as National Government administrative officers, coordinating resources and efforts at the most local level. I am confident that they will succeed in the climate effort as they are closely connected to the communities they serve," he said.
Last year, the government was able to plant about 34 million trees under the coordination of the chiefs during the National Tree Planting Day, Dr Omollo revealed before urging Kenyans to support the chiefs in the initiative.
