PS Dr. Korir Singoei led MFA staff in planting trees at Lari on April 21, 2023
Principal Secretary Dr. Abraham Korir Sing’oei, on April 21, 2023, led staff of the State Department for Foreign Affairs in launching Tree Planting Day at Uplands Forest Block in Lari Sub-County. Accompanying the PS were Ambassadors, Directors and Heads of Divisions.
The event themed, “Towards 15 Billion Trees by 2032.” was in response to the Special Presidential Programme of the National Tree Growing Restoration Campaign that seeks to increase national tree cover to 30% by 2032. Planting a tree, therefore, was the first and most critical step in a journey towards ecological restoration, resilience enhancement and sustainable development. Over 2000 indigenous tree seedlings were planted.
Tree planting day is a tradition in the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs that is undertaken annually as part of its contribution towards environmental preservation. This activity is a commitment in the Ministry’s performance contract. This has been a great opportunity to not only preserve the environment but also to connect with the Kenyan communities locally and abroad.
Members of Staff of State Department for Foreign Affairs during Tree Planting Day at Uplands Forests Block in Lari Sub-County on April 21, 2023.
The State Department partnered with the Kenya Forest Service and the Green Africa Foundation to realize this goal. The community also came in handy as the custodian of this resource to ensure that the seedlings have not only been planted but also grown as Prof. Wangari Maathai once said, “Until you dig a hole, plant a tree, you water it and make it survive you have not done a thing.”
Speaking during the event, PS Korir Singoei acknowledged the inadequacy of the country’s forest cover and urged the staff and community to plant more trees to expand Kenya’s tree canopy. He reiterated that the Ministry would remain steadfast and committed to the goal of environmental protection.
Going forward, Dr. Korir suggested that the Ministry would consider establishing social impact projects such as learning institutions and health facilities in the community where such environmental social responsibilities are carried out.
The PS said that there would be a tree planting side event at the Ministry’s 25 hectares of forest block in Lari on the sideline of the upcoming Africa Climate Summit in September this year. The Summit will be hosted in Nairobi to build a momentum on the 27th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27- UNFCCC) with a view to building on successes and to effectively tackle the challenge of climate change.