First Lady Margaret Kenyatta on Saturday called for urgent, bold and decisive actions to restore and protect the country ’s diminishing forest cover.
Speaking at Kibiku forest, in Kajiado County where she joined scores of female members of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and Ministry of Environment officers in planting thousands of trees to restore the 125ha forest, Kenyatta stated that it would require the collective resolve and resilience of all Kenyans to recover what has been wiped out through human actions and the devastating effects of climate change.
“This is no longer a waiting game. Our actions require urgent, bold, decisive response from all stakeholders, both private and public to promote behavioural change to address the threats posed by our human actions” the First Lady stated.
[caption caption="Margaret Kenyatta on Saturday"]
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She added that the country had witnessed the adverse effects of environmental degradation including decline and extinction of thousands of animal and plant species, phenomenal drying up of rivers and receding water levels in our water reservoirs, and widespread crop failure that threatens food security.
“As a nation, as a community and as individuals we need to do more to find solutions to the growing social, economic and development challenges caused by climate change," Kenyatta stated.
[caption caption="Margaret Kenyatta on Saturday"]
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The First Lady congratulated the Ministry of Defence for coming up with the ESP and called for continued engagement of the soldiers in the restoration of Kenya’s degraded forests.
She explained that the country could no longer ignore the scientific consensus clearly demonstrating the expensive consequences of climate change that puts at jeopardy our livelihoods and those of future generations.
The First Lady singled out efforts by the KDF female soldiers under the ESP saying women play an important role as key drivers in achieving environmental sustainability.
“There is no doubt that as women, our collective voice, influence and reach is critical to delivering the kind of resolute action required to transform our environment innovative solutions," she stated.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Amb. Raychelle Omamo who hosted the First Lady said the 600 (KDF) female soldiers and 70 non-uniformed officers were the key drivers of the tree planting programme.
[caption caption="Margaret Kenyatta and Raychelle Omamo on Saturday"]
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She, however, said all Kenyans had a crucial role in the protection of the environment.
Her Environment counterpart Keriako Tobiko said his Ministry had planted another 20 million trees since March and the country hopes to meet the 10 percent, globally accepted tree cover by 2022.
Tobiko conveyed that there was a direct connection between the environment, livelihoods and security, hence the involvement of the KDF in conservation efforts.
[caption caption="Margaret Kenyatta and Keriako Tobiko on Saturday"]
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