World Environment Day :The importance of tree planting and its protection

Written by Rosemary Wachiye

The salient of trees and forestry cannot be overlooked with the target towards a greener environment and country. In Western province, the move to plant more trees is on starting from Webuye town, Teso, Mumias, Luanda, Busia and Mbale. This is a project prior to the World’s Tree planting day on 5TH June, and it will foresee the greening of and beautification of the towns as trees are the major contributors towards good aeration and clean environment.  Speaking with West Fm the District Environment Officer (D.E.O), Bungoma East, Mr. Duncan Osale stated that the ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources have disbursed Sh1.28 million towards funding the project. “The funds will be used to buy seedlings and fertilizer, wires for fencing round the planted trees, buy park seats in Muliro garden, reinforcing of the fence in the garden and to pay the labourers,” said Mr. Osale. Bungoma East District Environmental officer Mr Dancun Osale The project started on 1st April and its set to be on until 30th June this year and the ministry through the District Environment of Bungoma East targets to plant approximately 5,000 trees by the end of the project. He said that the project is aimed at promoting ‘Kazi kwa vijana’ in the regions and it has so far 65 youths who have embarked on planting the trees around webuye town. “We have started with the town area along the main Webuye-Kitale road and we will go all the way up to Sango. The youths that are helping with the planting are being paid Sh250 per day as a way of earning them a living, “said Mr. Osale. The project aims to make the town green through planting trees in various places like, the DEB primary school, government officers and Muliro Gardens. Apart from planting new trees, they are also bringing up the dead trees that had been planted earlier in the region. He also added that the trees planted on the road side will be fenced round to protect them from damage by animals or pedestrians, “Since the ministry has pumped in so much money we don’t want this project to fail in any way and therefore, we are fencing round the trees to ensure maximum safety from animal and human destruction,” said Mr. Osale With an increase in the number of trees in the regions, then this will foster development in the region. Cutting down of trees is the major threat to lack of well preserved forests in the areas as so far there is only the Malava and Kakamega forests which are already facing depletion through destruction fromcharcoal burning and carpentry. Mr. Osale challenges such destructors to instead focus on planting more trees once they cut down others.