West Pokot: The West Pokot Huduma Centre, in collaboration with the office of the County Commissioner, organised a tree planting exercise aimed at promoting environmental conservation and sustainable farming practices. The event took place at the County Commissioner's office compound, the Administration police camp, and the Kapenguria Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in Kapenguria town.
According to Kenya News Agency, the tree-planting activity was attended by the Kapenguria Division Assistant County Commissioner Emily Ogolla, officers of the West Pokot Huduma Centre, and senior officers from the administration police. During the event, over 500 trees, including cypress and Grevillea robusta varieties, were planted.
Addressing the press afterwards, Ogolla emphasised the importance of utilizing the long rainy season for tree planting. She highlighted that tree planting could be a potential source of income for local farmers, encouraging them to try their luck in forestry for future benefits. Ogolla underscored the critical role of trees in mitigating climate change and promoting biodiversity. She also praised the officers from Huduma Centre for the generous gesture of donating trees to be planted in government institutions and urged the institutions that received trees to support the growth and nurturing of all planted trees until they reached maturity.
The Deputy Manager at the West Pokot Huduma Centre, Elizabeth Loitasiwa, stated that the initiative aligns with efforts to combat climate change and environmental degradation. She reiterated that the drive supports the national presidential directive to plant 15 billion trees by 2032. Loitasiwa explained that Huduma Centre's primary role is providing government services to the public, including programmes like Huduma Mashinani, which brings services such as KRA assistance, birth registration, Social Health Authority (SHA), and National Registration Bureau (NRB) services directly to citizens' residences. She urged residents to visit the centre to access government services and emphasized that the centre aims to meet public needs effectively.
Loitasiwa also highlighted the importance of raising awareness about the benefits of planting and nurturing trees, viewing it as a vital way to enhance household income and ensure environmental sustainability for future generations. Ayub Mutanda, the officer in charge of the library at KMTC Kapenguria and a leader on environmental matters, shared his personal experience of over ten years at the college, saying he has personally planted over 10,000 trees and has contributed to planting more than 50,000 trees across primary and secondary schools in the county. Mutanda assured that the college is committed to nurturing and growing the tree planted, emphasizing their role in benefiting future generations. He said the tree-planting initiative underscored collective efforts towards environmental preservation, community development, and the promotion of sustainable livelihoods.