Government kicks off nationwide fruit tree planting campaign

CS Sicily Kariuki leading a fruit tree planting excercise at the Nyumba ya Wazee in Kasarani

The Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Sicily Kariuki has urged Kenyans to take advantage of the current long rain season to plant fruit trees to support the government initiative to increase the national forest cover to 10 per cent and contribute to the big four agenda on food security.

The Cabinet Secretary made the remarks when she launched the distribution and planting of fruit tree seedlings at Nyumba Ya Wazee in Kasarani Constituency.

The lorries flagged off yesterday will distribute seedlings to Kiambu, Kajiado, Kirinyaga, Baringo, and Machakos Counties.

“Indeed, I am privileged to be flagging off about 800,000 seedlings ready to be planted across the country in various counties, and as I do this, my colleagues, the county commissioners in Pekera and Mwea are also flagging off fruit trees to be planted within their areas,” she said.

The seedlings included Avocados, cashew nuts, and coconuts. The fruit tree seedlings is an initiative by the Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation, after H.E the President gave a directive that all parastatals set aside 10 per cent of their Corporate Social Responsibility budgets towards tree planting.

The CS also planted the first Hass Avocado seedling at the Nyumba ya Wazee farm. She also donated foodstuffs, sanitizers, and gloves worth about 300,000 courtesy of the National Irrigation Authority and Water Trust Fund to the home, which is taking care of 74 elderly people.

The CS said, “These seedlings will be given to organised women groups and youth groups across the country. It is time such as this when the world has been challenged because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the floods that we need to come together and bring the most vulnerable members of the society in the middle of our decision making and interventions.”

So far, 360,000 fruit tree seedlings have been planted and the Ministry plans to distribute 800,000 seedlings to farmers across all the counties in liaison with county commissioners during this rainy season.