Residents of Narok have been asked to take advantage of the ongoing rains to plant trees in their farms so as to boost tree cover in the county and mitigate against effects of climate change.
Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Dr. Jackson Sapit said the residents had a role to play in conserving the environment to alleviate prolonged dry spells and flooding in the county.
Sapit spoke to journalists at a Narok hotel where he encouraged residents to plant fruit trees like avocados, mangoes, oranges and paw paws that do well in the area.
The spiritual leader who hails from the county said the drought spell being experienced in many counties is as a result of massive destruction of the environment.
“We have to take individual responsibility to plant trees and nurture them for the sake of future generations. If we continue destroying the environment like we have seen in the recent past, the environment will destroy us,” he said.
The Archbishop lauded President William Ruto for committing to protect the Maasai Mau forest against any form of destruction saying the forest is a mega water catchment land for many rivers.
Speaking in a different forum, Narok Governor’s wife Mrs. Agnes Ntutu called on the residents to plant trees in their farms to avoid massive soil erosion and flush floods during the rainy season.
Ntutu who spoke at a baraza held in Narok West Sub County asked every county official to lead by example to plant trees in their homes, churches, official premises among others.
“We as leaders should lead by example to plant trees so that the community can follow. We want to mitigate the effects of climate change that has severely affected our livelihood,” she said.
While holding a chiefs’ meeting at the Narok Teachers Training College, Narok County Commissioner Isaac Masinde asked them to sensitize the residents on the ground on the need to plant trees in their farms.
The CC challenged the chiefs to have tree planting occasions in their areas of jurisdiction that will educate the residents on the need to plant trees.
The move comes at a time when President Ruto has committed to combat climate change by planting 5 billion trees in a period of five years and 10 billion in ten years