On November 13 2023 the CS Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Mr. Zachariah M. Njeru spearheaded the National Tree Growing Day in Nyamweru Compartment II, Uplands Forest, Kiambu County in line with the President’s directive on tree planting.
He was accompanied by PS State Department for Water and Sanitation Mr. Julius Korir, CBS and other Senior Government officials.
They were received by Kiambu County Commissioner Mr. Joshua Nkanatha, Kiambu Deputy Governor Hon. Rosemary Kirika, Lari MP Hon. Joseph Kahangara and a host of area MCAs and NIA senior managers led by DGM- Corporate Services Mr. Daniel Atula and his infrastructure counterpart Eng. Loise Kahiga.
This exercise is in an effort to rally Kenyans to plant atleast 15 Billion trees by 2032 so as to increase the forest cover by 30% and mitigate against the effects of climate change.
The CS noted that the Ministry and all institutions under it is in full support of the President’s directives. He noted that a total of 190,000 trees have been planted today in Kiambu and more than 100,000 trees in Kajiado where he was represented by the State Department for Irrigation.
About 60 NIA members of staff from Head office participated in the Kiambu and Kajiado tree planting exercise.
Another team comprising of officers from Head Office, all Mwea Irrigation scheme and MIAD Centre staff partipated in a similar exercise in Thiba Dam, Kirinyaga County.
The exercise in Thiba Dam was led by Governor of Kirinyaga County Ms. Ann Mumbi Waiguru, EGH and National Irrigation Authority Board of Directors Mr. George Githae representative of the Council of County Governor’s and Mr. Julius K. Ndumbi who is the representative of the farmers.
The Authority’s staff, Mwea Irrigation Water Users Association (IWUA) officials and members of the community participated in the growing of about 15, 000 trees. 5,000 of these trees were donated by Authority while 10,000 trees were donated by the County Government of Kirinyaga.
Our colleagues in Murang’a led by Martin Kiragu represented us in a function presided over by CS Chelugui.
In Ahero, our scheme manager Ken Ouma led staff and NGAO in a tree planting exercise where about 1,500 trees were planted.