Kisumu: Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Performance and Delivery Management in the Office of the President Eliud Owalo has asked state departments and agencies to redouble their efforts in tree planting to help reach the 15 billion target by the year 2032. Owalo said all the departments and agencies must inculcate the culture of tree planting in their staff and take advantage of the available spaces within their establishments across the country to grow trees.

According to Kenya News Agency, since the inception of the programme, state departments and agencies have planted 4.6 million trees, calling for concerted efforts to boost the numbers. Owalo emphasized the commitment needed to ensure that the 15 billion target set by His Excellency the President is attained.

Speaking during a tree planting exercise at Maseno School in Kisumu County, Owalo decried the poor tree cover in Kisumu, which currently stands at 8.85%, and called on the private sector to join hands with the government to push the figure to 3
0% by the year 2032. He expressed the importance of this initiative to mitigate the effects of climate change and control floods in the area.

The Kenya Kwanza administration, Owalo noted, was on course in delivering promises made during the campaigns, urging Kenyans to support various government initiatives. He highlighted the five priority areas anchored on the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which have shown significant progress.

Owalo pointed out the fertiliser subsidy programme’s success, which has led to bumper harvests for farmers across the country, subsequently lowering the price of Unga and the cost of living. On affordable housing, he mentioned that the government has delivered 113,000 units, creating over 260,000 jobs for the youth.