Tourism Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has announced plans for tourists to plant a tree when they visit Kenya.
Mutua was speaking during a tree planting exercise in Taita Taveta on Friday, May 10.
He said the initiative will help in meeting the government’s 15 billion trees target.
The initiative named One Tree per Tourist was approved by a cabinet meeting at the State House as a way to achieve a green economy.
The initiative is a collaboration with tourism agencies in Kenya, including hotels and tourism stakeholders.
“Tourism heavily relies on the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems,” Mutua said.
A tourist, according to the CS will be given a tree to plant at a designated location upon arrival into the country.
“Tree planting remains a continuous and pivotal exercise undertaken by the ministry to preserve the country’s ecosystem,” Mutua said.
“The One Tree per Tourist initiative, in collaboration with stakeholders, notably hotels and tourism agencies, mandates that each tourist visiting Kenya plants a tree. Even those exploring urban areas like Nairobi can contribute by planting trees in designated sites known as “Tourism Forests,” the CS said.
Friday, May 10 was gazetted as a public holiday for Kenyans to plant trees.
This year’s event is the second National Tree Growing Day
The first one was held on November 13, 2023.
The day is also aimed at restoring Kenya’s degraded ecosystems by planting 15 billion trees within a decade.
The government hopes to increase the country’s tree cover from the current 12.3% to 30% by the year 2032.
