We will surpass the 50 million trees target, NYS says

The Nation Youth Service (NYS) has expresses confidence that they will surpass the 50 million trees target assigned to them in this financial year. This comes a week after Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action, Aisha Jumwa launched a tree propagation program at Yatta NYS Camp in Machakos county.

The program is in line with the push to restore the forest cover in the country by planting 15 billion tree by 2032 under tree growing and restoration campaign program. A spot check at Yatta NYS Camp revealed that the program has commenced.

The program has been distributed to 22 NYS units with each unit given their target. Supretendant Philip Kemboi, the farm manager of Yatta unit said that have been given a target of 6 million trees. they have propagated more than 1.8 million trees as of Friday. He said that they will hit the target and even surpass it by the end of the financial year.

“Each unit (NYS Units) were given their target. For us we were given a target of propagating 6 million seedlings. So far we have propagated close to 2 million seedlings. I believe by 2024 April, we will be good to go. We will hit the target and of course surpass it by the end of the financial year,” he said.

Kemboi further said the program will be beneficial to the residents of Machakos county as tree growing will improve the area’s climatic conditions. Machakos county one of the Arid and Semi-arid Lands receiving relatively low amount of rainfall annually.

“This is a semi-arid area, so, growing 6 million trees will improve the climatic conditions of this area. Again, we will be aligning ourselves to the president’s agenda of tree growing and restoration program,” he said.

Some of the tree species are mainly suited for ASAL areas. They include Leucaena, croton, tamarind, acacia, birea, delonic, lukina, balanitis and eucalyptus.

Water scarcity is the main challenge affecting the program especially after a water pan in the camp dried up due to drought that is being experienced in the area. They rely on water tanker to bring water from Yatta Canal to the propagation site. Phiona Mganda, an officer in charge tree and food nursery said that they use up to 60,000 litres of water everyday.

“We had a dam but it dried up. We need a larger dam to collect more water because the more we increase the number of trees, the demand for water also goes up,” she said.