Owalo leads tree planting exercise at Maseno School

By Peter Ochieng

The Deputy Chief of Staff, Performance and Delivery Management Eliud Owalo on Saturday oversaw a fruitful tree planting exercise at Maseno School.

The exercise, Owalo said was meant to boost efforts by President William Ruto's administration to plant 15 billion trees in the next 10 years, for sustainable environmental conservation.

With efforts from various stakeholders boosted by Maseno School students, 10, 000 trees were planted at several parts of the institution's vast compound.

The former Information, Communication and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary (CS) informed participants that he has planted 1 million trees and counting, as part of his individual efforts towards environmental conservation.

"I am a proud owner of a forest," he added.

Kisumu County, Owalo said has slightly over 8 percent forest cover, which is below the 12.13 percent current national cover.

Under President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza administration's bid to plant 15 billion trees, the country seeks to grow the forest cover to 30 percent in the next 30 years.

That means residents of Kisumu County have to plant 9.1 trees per year, and over 91 million trees in the next 10 years.

"That target is achievable. Let us work together towards reaching the County and national target," said the Deputy Chief of Staff.

Owalo, acknowledging the fact that the government cannot do it alone, called on various stakeholders to join forces with both national and county administrations, towards reaching the target.

"We must plant trees to prevent calamities such as flooding," he emphasised.

"Benefits of planting trees by far outweigh the costs," added the former CS.

He assured Kenyans that the government is well on course in implementing the Bottom-up economic agenda, over two year since President Ruto's election.

Owalo, an alumni of Maseno School wished form four students at the institution all the best in the forth coming Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCPE) exams.

The exams start on Monday.