By Agnetta Okwemba
About 60,000 mangrove tree seedlings have been planted in the Dongo Kundu area in Kwale County during a tree planting program by the Kenya Defence forces team.
Leading the agenda, Cabinet Secretary for Defence Soipan Tuya and the Kenya Defence Forces personnel from Mariakani Garrison, she emphasized on the importance of mangrove conservation and that communities should not engage in over-harvesting.
“The mangroves play a vital role in the ecosystem by providing crucial breeding grounds for the fish,” she added.
Mangroves have so many benefits to the Coast such as environmental, climate change and improvement of water quality.
The mangroves on the shores of the Coast act as natural buffers preventing any destruction by tsunamis or high tides.
Furthermore, it helps in climate change mitigation as they have the ability to store up to four times more carbon dioxide.
Amidst its benefits to the people living in the Coast, mangroves are denied conservation through deforestation activities by the people in search of firewood and for the purpose of having fish farms.
“The cutting down of these trees is a destruction to the environmental efforts put in place,” she said.
Condemning the act, Tuya called on the community to join hands and take good care of the trees to maturity, affirming her support and requesting other partners to come onboard to also support the community by purchasing the tree seedlings.
Among the people present were the Commandant Brigadier Douglas Mokwena, Ministry of Defence civilians, Kinango MP Gonzi Rai, Deputy County Commissioner Lucy Ndemo as well as other partners such as ABSA Bank, Kenya Forest Services and Greens of Africa Foundation.
The tree planting exercise is in line with the government’s plan to have planted 15 billion trees over the next decade and the KDF environmental soldier programme.
President William Ruto gave the Defence Forces team the role of being the number one cheerleaders in carrying out the plan to have 15 billion trees within a decade.
The tree planting exercise is also in honor of the Kenya Navy who are celebrating 60 years today.
