Grazing in public forests has been banned ahead of a demarcation process expected to start soon.
Environment Cabinet Secretary (CS) Soipan Tuya on Monday said that all public forests will be demarcated and fenced to keep off encroachers.
“Forests are not areas for human habitation. We have destroyed so much in our forests that it is now time to restore them,” Tuya said.
Tuya spoke during the launch of the second phase of the national tree planting in Kajiado.
The function was attended by the Attorney General Justin Muturi and hosted by Governor Joseph Ole Lenku.
Muturi said the trees being planted must be protected up to maturity.
“We shall bring some two big tanks to water these trees through drips until we regain our natural rain patterns,” Muturi said.
Muturi said the government shall not allow the planted seedlings to die due to lack of inconsistent rain.
Lenku expressed his gratification that at least five of the county’s major water sources are on their path to restoration.
“We have 17 water sources. They all dried up because of rapidly changing rain patterns, environmental degradation and over-exploitation of natural resources such as sand,” Lenku said.
Governor Lenku announced that the county will support the initiative by the national government where CSs will be attending monthly tree planting days in the various counties across the country.
Every first Wednesday, Water CS Zachary Njeru will be leading tree planting in Kajiado while the AG, will be leading the exercise every second Monday of the month, Tuya said.