NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 31 – The Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade) has announced plans to plant 2000 trees in the first half of 2022, in a bid to increase the forest cover in the country to over 10 percent tree cover from the current 7 percent.
Speaking during a tree planting exercise at the Nairobi Primary School, KenTrade Chief Executive Officer Amos Wangora explained that the initiative highlights the Agency’s commitment towards sustainability.
“At 7 percent tree cover, Kenya is one of the least forested countries in Africa, equating to 67 trees per person, compared to a global average that’s around 420 trees for each person in a country. In 2020, KenTrade planted a total 2,500 mangrove trees at the Port Reitz mangrove site in Mombasa. However, the Agency has been planting 1400 trees every year since 2015, in The Nairobi National Park,
among other sites across Kenya.
As part of its commitment to increase its investment in increasing the forest cover, KenTrade has opted to increase its footprint to other locations such as Namanga, Ngong, and even schools like Nairobi Primary.
According to The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Kenya faces high rates of deforestation which endanger both its fauna and flora.
Towards this end the Government of Kenya has put into high gear plans to increase the forest cover through the ambitious National Tree Planting Campaign (NTPC) Project, which requires 1.8 billion tree seedlings in order to achieve ten percent tree cover by the end of 2022.
The Agency also donated 16 computers and several laptops to the Nairobi Primary school in a bid to equip the computer laboratory to accommodate more students. Currently, the school caters for over 1600 children.
During the handover, KenTrade CEO said, “We realize that the next generation must be well equipped and conversant with technology to take up opportunities of an increasingly digital future.”
“Through our Corporate Social Responsibility kitty, we expect to join other stakeholders to bridge such demands. We appreciate our partners who have made these initiatives possible. Your contribution goes a long way in improving the lives of the people around us,” he concluded.
