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{
    "id": 769586,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/769586/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 32,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Prof.) Ogutu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13302,
        "legal_name": "Zadoc Abel Ogutu",
        "slug": "zadoc-abel-ogutu-2"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I second this Motion that has been moved by one of our independent Members. He has clearly put the matter to this House in a very humble manner on the need to increase forest coverage in our nation of Kenya. Globally, each nation should have 10 per cent of its landscape covered by forest. Currently, Kenya has about three per cent of its landscape under forest cover because of the challenges we have had over the years. Now that we do not have space to increase tree planting in forests, we are left with very few options. Learning institutions and individual farmers become the better option as we start reclaiming land that has been lost to agricultural activities through illegal means. I support this Motion because of many reasons. One is that schools and learning institutions, universities included, remain part of the spaces where we have plenty of land. The initiative to plant trees is not new. The Mover has already alluded to the situation in Egerton University where we have a botanical garden that not only caters for research in the university, but also for the aesthetic and beauty of the institution. It also serves as a source of seedlings to adjacent communities. I also want to acknowledge that Kenyatta University also has a botanical garden for learning purposes. The trees are imported from various parts of this country, including dry lands and creates a conducive environment for the growth of indigenous trees which are secured in those institutions. Increasing forest cover not only safeguards the medicinal industry, but also provides a link between learning and realities in communities. When our students and pupils engage themselves in tree planting, they develop a sense of ownership and likeness of the environmental matters and conservation. We want to leave a generation that respects the environment. It is unfortunate that some of us have not been very concerned with the role of the environment in our lives and yet the nation of Kenya is a signatory to many conventions including the Convention on Biological Biodiversity and a global strategy to plant trees for conservation. Many of us come from areas where the landscape has already been destroyed and forest cover has been reduced and yet we know that the need for trees in the rural areas stands at the top. The increasing factories in the sugar and tea industries require a lot of trees. Schools can also engage themselves in tree planting for commercial reasons, but also individual households can also plant trees to earn money. Engaging in tree planting creates challenges in terms of competition for other land uses, but we can always target trees that are friendly to farm activities. These trees have already been identified. We should confine school environment to a mixture of exotic and indigenous species. I do not want to emphasise the value that trees play in the environment. We know that trees contribute to soil formation and cleaning of our air and water systems. This Motion is quite timely when the United Nations (UN) is at Gigiri discussing environmental issues."
}