Take State's call seriously and plant trees today

Internal Security Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki last week designated today a public holiday specifically to plant trees. At a time when the world is threatened by the vagaries of climate change, this is a noble initiative that we all must take seriously.

The United Nations recommends that a country's tree cover should, on the lower side, be 10 per cent of the land surface area. Estimates put Kenya's forest cover at about six per cent of the land areas, which is way much below international standards, hence the need to increase the cover. Our receding tree cover has resulted in rivers drying up, negative effects on our biodiversity and a reduced carbon sink, leading to global warming.