Standard Chartered bank to help set up a tree nursery in Kisumu

By Peter Ochieng

The Kisumu City greening initiative on Friday landed a major boost from Standard Chartered Bank.

The bank will support the City to set up a modern nursery for three million tree seedlings at the Mamboleo slaughter house.

Kisumu City management is currently implementing the greening initiative, geared towards planting of three million trees in the Lakeside town in the next three years.

On Friday, Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o and representatives from the bank broke the ground of land for setting up the nursery, on a three acre piece of land.

Nyong'o said the facility will be run in collaboration with private tree nursery champions, with technical support from the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI).

"The nursery will stock an assortment of both indegenous and exotic species with variety of fruit trees to be planted in learning institutions and homesteads, for both economic and nutritious value," said the county boss.

Earlier, governor Nyong'o led residents in planting 1,500 trees at Khalid Hussein Centre, along the Kisumu International Airport corridor.

He said his administration has set aside 10th of every month a tree planting day, urging residents to unite in the quest to make Kisumu green.

"This idea of buildings and buildings and buildings everywhere is what has led to global warming," he added.

Shirley Akinyi, climate change ambassador challenged Kenyans to plant a tree without thinking of having to enjoy it's shed tommorrow.

"Plant a tree whose shed you will never enjoy," she said.

Currently, Kisumu county has a 1.55% tree cover, way below the national cover of 12.5%.