Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has declared Monday, November 13, public holiday. The day will be dedicated to planting trees countrywide.
In a gazette notice dated November 6, the CS said that the public will be involved in collaborative efforts to plant trees countrywide.
“In Exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Public Holidays Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration declares Monday, November 13 2023, a public holiday in which the public shall be engaged in tree growing countrywide,” the gazette notice read in part.
This declaration is in line with the Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Program which aims to grow more than fifteen billion trees in the country.
There will be a national venue designated for tree planting, which will be spearheaded by the head of state on Monday.
Cabinet Secretaries and governors will also preside over tree planting at the county level where members of the public will participate.
On November 3, the Cabinet agreed to designate a special working day for tree planting in recognition of the effects of climate change and in compliance with the 15 billion tree pledge.
“This aligns with the Government’s National Tree Planting Campaign under the Presidential Programme for the Accelerated Restoration of Forests and Rangelands,” a statement from Cabinet read.
Each cabinet secretary will be responsible for monitoring the tree planting exercise in at least two counties.
The effort is to restore forest cover in the country and reduce greenhouse emissions worldwide. Kenya’s agenda is to grow 15 billion trees by the year 2032.
President William Ruto is committed to this agenda and has continuously demonstrated commitment to full implementation of the program.
In fact, the government plans to distribute tree seedlings through chiefs to accelerate tree-growing activities across the country.
Ruto’s ambitions for environmental conservation has received international recognition. King Charles III on his recent visit to Kenya hailed Ruto for his tree-planting initiative, saying that the efforts were admirable.
