The Defence Cabinet Secretary Hon. Soipan Tuya accompanied by the Principal Secretary Forestry Hon. Gitonga Mugambi today led a tree planting exercise that took place in Loita forest, Narok County.
This is part of the ongoing efforts to support the Government’s 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme under the National Landscapes and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy.
During the exercise, a total 20,000 indigenous seedlings, with additional 2,500 fruit trees were planted as part of the community resilience and livelihood program while 250,000 indigenous seedling seed balls were dispersed through aerial seed balling, by the Kenya Air Force.
The exercise brought together officers from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), both military and civilian, alongside the County Government of Narok, highlighting a coordinated government approach to addressing climate change and ecosystem degradation.
Speaking during the exercise, the CS appreciated all the partners present while emphasizing on continued efforts in maintaining the environment.
Multi-agency collaboration and community involvement in achieving the country’s ambitious tree growing targets and restoring degraded landscapes was also encouraged.
The Ministry of Defence continues to play a key role in advancing the national agenda through its Environmental Soldier Programme. The Ministry has so far planted over 130 million trees across the country and is working towards a target of planting 50 million trees annually.
The Loita Forest initiative is part of a series of nationwide activities aimed at increasing forest cover, enhancing biodiversity, and strengthening climate resilience.
Also present were representatives from key environmental and conservation agencies, including the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), Rotary club Narok, International Fund for Animal welfare (IFAW) and members of the local community.
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