First Lady Rachel Ruto in Kakamega Forest in the past/Courtesy
Kenyans have protested online following the announcement by First Lady Rachel Ruto that she has adopted 200 hectares of the Kakamega Forest for reforestation.
Mrs. Ruto made the announcement on Tuesday during the commemoration of the International Day of Forests, saying she will donate 500 million trees in the next 10 years to support initiatives to combat climate change.
“Warm greetings on this 2023 International Day of Forests, celebrated on the theme “Forests and Health”. The day is a reminder of the undeniable correlation between nature and health: the healthier our surroundings are, the merrier our well-being,” she stated.
“Knowing this, we should make deliberate efforts to grow and protect our forest cover through sustainable forest practices. As part of the Office of the First Lady’s commitment to growing 500 million trees by 2032, I have adopted 200 hectares of Kakamega forest for restoration.”
“I am excited to work with individuals and groups with similar goals: to plant trees, reduce carbon footprints, and support policies that encourage sustainable forest management. Greens are what we need to have a healthy and happy life. Let’s go, Green! Let’s go Healthy!”
Just after being elected as President of Kenya, William Ruto made an announcement that he would be mobilizing every Kenyan to plant 100 trees each to hit the 50 billion target within 10 years.
“We must do our bit as a nation; for us to have water, the way we have in this dam, we must mind our environment as a country we have made the policy decision that we must plant 5 billion trees,” he said in October.
Following Mama Rachel Ruto’s announcement, many Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) have disagreed with the move, many believing it is a plot to grab forest land.
“Rachel Ruto can adopt hundreds of thousands of acres in North Eastern to plant Ruto’s 15 billion trees and turn the region into a forest, but she just wants 200 acres of a millennium-old mature tropical rainforest to plant more trees,” said Maurice Muyuyi.
The Western Kenya Times is the most trusted digital news and content media in the region run by a team of young professionals in the media industry. The publication aims at giving factual and objective information that suits the needs of the people of Western Kenya.
