Green Belt Movement officers, while conducting a tree planting exercise in Trans Nzoia on Monday, lamented the massive destruction of forests within the county’s water towers.
According to the movement’s chairperson Jane Gitau, the incidents of deforestation are worrying as the cases of forest destruction skyrocket.
Speaking during the exercise at Kimothon Forest, Ms.Gitau challenged locals to stop deforestation and practise tree planting to curb the adverse effects of climate change.
She said climate has changed due to a lack of enough forest cover and has led to low yield among farmers who experience less rainfall.
“Some years ago we used to get rain on time and plant our crops early for a bumper harvest but nowadays climate has changed negatively, rain starts late thus affecting the end result in our farms,” she said.
Trans Nzoia County Conservator, George Abuto, appreciated the Green Belt for its commitment to planting indigenous species of trees in the region.
He called on other organizations and individuals to emulate the action of goodwill by putting up efforts of tree planting to help Kenya achieve its 10 percent forest cover dream.
Abuto warned those involved in illegal logging that they will face the full wrath of the law if arrested.
Green Belt Movement program manager in charge of tree planting, climate change and bamboo, John Waweru Ngau, said more than 5 million indigenous trees have been planted in the forests of Kimothon, Suam and Kiptogot in the last three years.
He said 2 million tree seedlings had been set aside for the forests and another 2 million for the farmlands.
Trans Nzoia County has two water towers: Mt. Elgon and Cheranganyi Hills.

Mike Musungu is a reporter at Radio Simba in Bungoma and a correspondent of Trans Nzoia County for the Western Kenya Times.