HOMA BAY, Kenya, Oct 10 – Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has called on Homa Bay residents to intensify tree planting and protect existing forests as the government steps up efforts to achieve its national target of 15 billion trees by 2032.

📻 Breaking It Down

Speaking at Lambwe Forest during Masingira Day celebrations, Omollo said Homa Bay had planted 25 million seedlings since 2022 but needed to strengthen conservation efforts to improve its tree and forest cover.

He said the county’s tree cover stood at 10.4 per cent, while forest cover was estimated at 3.18 per cent, figures he said highlighted the need for sustained environmental restoration.

“Homa Bay County has managed to plant 25 million seedlings since 2022,” Omollo said, urging residents to ensure planted trees survive to maturity.

📌 What You Need to Know

The PS said the county had a tree-growing target covering 100,000 hectares and needed to plant 14.9 million seedlings annually to accelerate progress.

He called on community leaders, forest associations, county officials and residents to take responsibility for protecting forests against degradation and encroachment.

Omollo said environmental restoration required more than planting seedlings, stressing that communities had a critical role in nurturing trees and safeguarding existing forest resources.

“The community members through the forest associations have a big responsibility as the single most important stakeholders in ensuring that as we plant the trees, we make sure that those trees actually grow to maturity,” he said.

He said the government’s nationwide environmental campaign was designed to mobilise communities and public institutions to participate in tree growing and environmental conservation.

The exercise coincided with a coordinated nationwide cleanup across all 47 counties and a synchronised presidential tree-growing challenge covering 79 sites.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya