Mombasa: The Principal Secretary for Transport, Mohamed Daghar, has pledged to spearhead efforts to restore Mombasa's natural beauty by reintroducing fruit trees that once lined the city's streets and alleys but have since vanished due to rapid urbanization. Speaking during the Mazingira Day celebrations at his former school, MM Shah Primary, located near the Nyali Bridge, Daghar reminisced about his childhood days when he and his friends would pick fruits from jackfruit plants, Jujube trees, and Jambolan plums on their way home.
According to Kenya News Agency, the flourishing trees with leafy canopies no longer exist in the Port City as they have been swallowed by concrete due to the expansion of the City roads and human activities. Daghar emphasized the importance of reintroducing these indigenous trees to restore Mombasa's former glory. He called for concerted efforts to scale up tree planting to support the government's target of 15 billion trees by 2032.
Daghar noted that Mombasa currently boasts a tree coverage of 23.75 percent, but more needs to be done. 'So far, we have planted over 31 million trees here in Mombasa. Our annual target is 750,000 trees, but we must make sure that we restore the glory of all types of trees,' he stated. He also observed that the entire Coastal region, from Vanga in Kwale County to Kiunga in Lamu County, is doing well in mangrove restoration and conservation. Mangroves play a pivotal role in carbon sequestration, capturing carbon dioxide emissions and storing them in carbon-rich flooded soils.
Daghar revealed that the target of planting 50,000 trees this year was surpassed in collaboration with the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), which is receiving an award in Japan for environmental sustainability efforts. Later, Daghar visited Mbheni Primary School, where he joined parents, teachers, and learners in a tree-planting exercise, encouraging students to focus on their studies and work towards achieving their career dreams.
The PS was accompanied by County Commissioner Mohamed Nur and Senior Officials from the Kenya Railways Corporation, Kenya Ports Authority, the National Transport and Safety Authority, and Lapsset Corridor Development Authority.