Keumbu Township residents have been challenged to plant more trees to increase forest cover.
Speaking today at Keumbu market, Kisii county executive in charge of water, environment and energy Marcella Otuke has pleaded with surrounding community to help save the region from turning into a desert due to rampant cutting of trees.
“It is very unfortunate that we are cutting trees at a very high rate without replacing them. Our region will soon turn into a desert if these habits persist. Let us use the traditional slogan of cutting one and planting two,” she said.
Otuke regretted insufficient civil education about environmental preservation and promised to revive a “cut one plant two” initiative that was popular during the regime of retired President Daniel Arap Moi.
“To deal with this menace, my ministry will propose a legislation of regulating cutting and planting of trees for the sake of our water catchment areas,” she said.
According to her, charcoal burning activities in the area that have degraded environment have exponentially risen despite existing legislation in the country to regulate the same.
“Charcoal burning cases are steadily rising and people are non-compliant to existing laws. We will soon start enforcing the same since it’s our mandate as a ministry,” said the county executive.
She reminded area residents to act as an example to other parts of the county and country at large by planting more trees to combat the environmental degradation menace and promised more support from the county.