Leaders in Marsabit County have called on residents, government institutions and other stakeholders to strengthen environmental conservation efforts by planting trees and ensuring they are nurtured to maturity.

The call was made during this year’s Mazingira day celebrations at the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) camp in Karare, Marsabit Central Sub-County, where Marsabit Deputy County Commissioner Stephen Kiloi led a tree-planting exercise.

Held under the theme “Our Environment, Our Responsibility: Collective Action for Tree Growing and Environmental Stewardship”, the event brought together security agencies, county and national government officials, and environmental stakeholders to promote tree growing and the sustainable management of natural resources.

The leaders emphasized that planting trees alone was not enough, urging individuals and institutions to take responsibility for protecting seedlings until they mature and deliver their intended environmental benefits.

Speaking during the event, DCC Kiloi said the choice of the KDF camp as the venue was informed by the institution’s capacity to care for the planted seedlings, citing the availability of water, personnel and other resources necessary for their maintenance.

He said the exercise was part of a broader initiative being implemented across Marsabit County’s 13 Sub-counties to increase tree cover and contribute to the national tree growing campaign.

“We have chosen KDF because we are not only planting trees, but also want to ensure they are taken care of. We know the institution has capacity, water and personnel required to maintain the trees,” Kiloi said.

He expressed confidence that the coordinated activities across the county would help achieve the desired tree-growing targets, adding that the success of the initiative would depend on continued cooperation among government agencies, institutions and local communities.

Marsabit County Forest Conservator Kenneth Muthuri said the national government had intensified tree-growing efforts, with more than two billion trees reported planted across the country since the programme began.

Muthuri said Marsabit had also contributed to the initiative, with approximately 100,000 trees planted over time despite the environmental challenges facing the region.

He noted that new initiatives and stronger partnerships would be important in accelerating tree growth and ensuring that the county made greater progress towards national environmental targets.

Muthuri recognized the participation of security agencies and government departments, including the National Police Services, Administration Police, KDF, Kenya Wildlife Services, Kenya Forest Services, Kenya Prison Services and the directorate of Criminal Investigations, alongside county government representatives and other stakeholders.

He said the participation of different institutions demonstrated the importance of a coordinated approach to environmental conservation.

 KDF 8 MIB Commander Brigadier Edward W. Banda said Mzingira Day was an important occasion for Kenyans to renew their commitment to protecting the environment and supporting the national target of growing 15 billion trees by 2032.

Banda said the Defence Forces had planted approximately 53,000 trees as part of their contribution to the national campaign and remained committed to increasing tree cover.

He observed that trees provide essential environmental and economic benefits, including clean air, timber, firewood, fruits and shade, while helping prevent soil erosion.

The Brigadier urged individuals and institutions to ensure that every planted seedling was properly protected and nurtured until maturity, noting that the benefits of tree growing could only be realized when trees survived and flourished.

“Planting trees is important, but we must also ensure that they are well protected and nurtured until maturity so that their benefits can be realized,” he said.

Banda thanked the government departments and environmental stakeholders for selecting the KDF camp in Karare as the venue for this year’s Mazingira Day tree planting exercise.

He assured the participants that the institution would take responsibility for maintaining the planted seedlings and said the Defence Forces would explore the possibility of establishing a tree nursery to raise tree species suitable for Marsabit County.

He added that the institution had the resources needed to support the initiative and contribute to the long-term restoration of the environment.

Marsabit County Chief Officer for Environment Pauline Marleni said she was encouraged by the strong participation and enthusiasm demonstrated by stakeholders during the exercise.

Marleni said the county government was committed to working with partners not only to plant trees but also to ensure their survival through proper management, monitoring and maintenance.

She emphasized that environmental conservation was a shared responsibility that required collaboration among government agencies, institutions, communities and individuals.

She urged participating organizations to use the Kenya Forest Service’s JazaMiti application to record and update information on their tree-growing activities, saying accurate data would help track progress and recognize the contributions of individual institutions.

Marleni said documenting the number of trees planted and monitoring their progress would help establish accountability and provide a reliable record of environmental conservation efforts across the county.

She added that the county government would continue working with relevant agencies to follow up on the planted seedlings and assess the outcomes of the exercise.

The county officer reaffirmed the county government’s commitment to working with Kenya Forest Services and other partners to strengthen conservation initiatives and ensure that tree-growing activities deliver lasting benefits.

She said collaboration among stakeholders would be essential in safeguarding Marsabit’s natural resources for present and future generations.

The celebrations concluded with a friendly volleyball match between government officials and environmental stakeholders, who formed one team, and KDF personnel. The KDF team emerged victorious, winning the match by three sets to nil (3-0).

by Anthony Melly