Mombasa: Mombasa joined the rest of the country in marking this year's Environment Day with a tree planting exercise held at Tom Mboya Primary School, under the theme 'Citizen-Centric Tree Growing and Environmental Stewardship'. The event was led by the Secretary Administration at the State Department for Mining, David Onyancha, who represented Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho.
According to Kenya News Agency, Onyancha stated that the national celebrations aimed to promote tree growing in both public spaces and private homesteads to help achieve the government's target of 15 billion trees by 2032 and a 30 percent national tree cover. Onyancha emphasized the importance of planting trees not only in forests but also at homes and gardens to create a better environment for future generations.
The Ministry of Blue Economy and Mining contributed by donating 210 fruit seedlings to Tom Mboya Boys Primary School, 100 fruit seedlings to Central Girls Primary School, and 200 indigenous tree seedlings to the Huduma Centre Mombasa. Onyancha highlighted the need for collaboration among Kenyans in both the planting and maintenance of trees, asserting that the spirit of Mazingira Day is about collective effort in building the future.
He praised the local administration for their support of the event and mentioned that due to limited space at Tom Mboya Primary, the seedlings would be distributed to parents and pupils for home planting. As part of the celebrations, students from Tom Mboya and Central Girls Primary schools performed poems, songs, and dances to stress the significance of environmental conservation and tree planting.
Mvita Sub-County Director of Education, Ali Hussein Abdi, encouraged the community to participate in the Turudi Primo initiative by planting fruit trees in their former primary schools. This initiative aims to enhance nutrition, improve school environments, cool local climates, and restore biodiversity, while symbolizing renewal and community involvement in environmental restoration efforts.