Interior PS Omollo Urges Boost in Tree Cover as Homa Bay Hits 10.4%

Interior Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo urged residents of Homa Bay County to intensify tree planting and protect existing forests after reporting that the county’s tree cover stands at 10.4 percent and forest cover at 3.18 percent.

He noted that Homa Bay has planted 25 million seedlings since 2022 and that the county’s tree-growing target covers 100,000 hectares, requiring the planting of 14.9 million seedlings each year to accelerate progress.

Omollo highlighted the national goal of 15 billion trees by 2032, saying about 2.2 billion trees had been planted nationwide as of October 5, and that a coordinated cleanup across all 47 counties and a presidential tree-growing challenge involving 79 sites are under way.

He praised village elders for mobilising communities, noting they have planted 7.7 million trees across more than 77,000 villages with technical support from the Ministry of Environment and the Kenya Forest Service.

During Mazingira Day on October 10 at Lambwe Forest Station, the exercise led by Omollo saw nearly 6,000 indigenous seedlings planted, short of the 10,000 target for the day, and he announced an additional 92,000 seedlings earmarked for a nearby plantation.

Omollo said Lambwe Forest Station has rehabilitated over 1,782 hectares of land since 2023 and established more than 430 hectares of plantation, and he urged communities, especially youth, to view agroforestry as a source of income and climate resilience.

He called on residents to plant indigenous and fruit trees in homes, schools, churches and public facilities, and warned that the short rains and expected El Niño downpours could cause flooding in the Lake Victoria Basin, urging teachers, parents and examination officials to safeguard students.

Omollo also urged responsible waste-management, reduced plastic use and keeping streets, rivers and drainage systems clean, citing the need for sustained community participation to protect natural resources for future generations.

The planting activity formed part of the Presidential Green Challenge, which tasks Principal Secretaries with leading tree-growing and clean-up in their counties; the initiative spans 30 counties and 77,252 villages, each aiming to plant at least 100 trees, and Omollo cited conservation icons such as the late Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, footballer Lesein Mutunkei, activist Truphena Muthoni and athlete Hillary Kiplagat as inspiration.