By Alex Odongo
The nationwide tree-planting exercise that was recently led by Kenya President William Ruto and other dignitaries to promote environmental conservation and climate change mitigation is a laudable effort.
If Kenya truly wants to achieve its goal of planting 15 billion trees by 2032 to combat climate change, it must ensure that tree planting becomes a routine practice that is deeply ingrained in the minds and hearts of its citizens.
Kenya surpassed its 10 % minimum tree cover target in June 2022 and it now plans to raise tree cover to 30% by 2032. In order to maintain this momentum, the government should take advantage of the short rains that have been experienced in all parts of the country to provide free seedlings for planting particularly in the Northern arid areas and parts of the Eastern region.
Moreover, considering the Kenyan government’s commendable role in promoting climate change initiatives in Africa, it is crucial to take deliberate steps to educate the citizens of Kenya and enhance their understanding of the concept of carbon credits. This will enable them to grasp its potential benefits for communities and the nation of Kenya as a whole.
There are numerous advantages of carbon credits for businesses, nations, and the environment. Through planting trees and selling carbon credits, Kenyan farmers will receive cash compensation for their efforts to slow down global warming.
However, as we embark on these noble initiatives, we must address many challenges, including deforestation and the politics and corruption associated with environmental conservation in our country, particularly the issue of encroachment, land grabbing, and logging of trees in our forests.
In Kenya, a substantial portion of our forests, such as the Mau and Karura forests, are on the verge of extinction owing to invasion by greedy and powerful individuals engaged in large-scale commercial tea and wheat production, settlement, and logging activities. These concerns are currently unresolved.
On July 2, 2023, President William Ruto lifted a six-year ban on logging, despite widespread public outcry. Ruto defended his decision by saying that it would boost economic growth and generate employment opportunities. However, environmentalists opposed the lifting of the ban, warning that it could undo the progress made in increasing Kenya’s forest cover.
Fortunately, On 12 October 2023, the Environmental and Lands Courts declared that the lifting of the logging moratorium lacked public participation and was thus null and void. However, the judge ordered that the 5,000 hectares of mature and over-mature forest plantation trees recognized by the Multi-Agency Oversight Team be harvested.
All current attempts to plant trees in order to combat climate change will be fruitless until the government demonstrates goodwill in addressing the politics and corruption of our forests.
Additionally, we would like to think that the widely publicized tree-planting campaign was carried out with the best of intentions rather than serving as a lure for large-scale carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas pollutants looking for a convenient place to set up shop and spend their money.
Alex Odongo is a freelance journalist.
