Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Bitok has directed students and teachers in all public and private primary schools to actively participate in tree planting to mark the Mazingira Day scheduled for Friday, October 10.
Speaking on Thursday, October 9, the PS explained that the move was part of the government's effort to champion citizen-centric tree growing and environmental stewardship.
He disclosed that this year's emphasis had been placed on planting fruit trees, with each school required to plant a minimum of 2000 fruit trees on Mazingira Day.
"The objective is to promote environmental conservation while enhancing school-based nutrition through the establishment of fruit orchards," the PS explained.
In his directive, Bitok revealed that all learners and teachers would be expected to be in school from 8am to 2pm, with school heads expected to guide learners.
He also encouraged the active participation of alumni in the tree planting sessions in their respective former schools, further adding that community members were also free to participate.
The PS went ahead to order all the regional, County and sub-county directors of Education to oversee the exercise and ensure its success.
Meanwhile, Bitok's directive comes hours after Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa challenged Kenyans to come out in large numbers and participate in tree planting on Friday.
Barasa, who spoke on Thursday morning during an interview on NTV, disclosed that the whole month of October would be dedicated to planting fruit trees.
The CS noted that his Ministry was working jointly with the Ministry of Education to ensure that the programme becomes a success, reiterating that it was possible to plant 15 billion trees by 2030.
According to Barasa, the government had so far facilitated the planting of about 1 billion trees. "According to the President's target, we are not on course, but compared to the previous administration, we have done 500 per cent better than it," Barasa revealed.
"This is not a one-day event; we want the whole of October to be a fruit tree planting period. We can be able to achieve this as a country because Ethiopia achieved it," she added.
