Kisumu County today joined the rest of the world in commemorating the world environment day at Baby Pendo Park in Kachok, Kisumu.
The event is marked annually every 5th of June. This year’s theme is land restoration, desertification and drought resilience. This is to create awareness about environmental issues and encourage people to take action to protect the environment. It also exert pressure on the direction to restore land and combat desertification.
The Deputy Governor, Dr. Matthew Ochieng Owili led the team in tree plantation at the Baby Pendo botanical garden, accompanied by the CECM for Water, Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change Ms. Judith Oluoch together with NEMA County Director of Environment Mr. Leonard Ofula.
In his speech, The Deputy Governor Dr. Mathew Owili said, “As Kisumu County we should address the worsening global warming” quoting from the UN secretary General speech on the harm of global warming while outlining some hard hitting truths about the rustle people.
He advised on the need to reflect on what must be done to avert the worst impact of climate change and preserve a livable plan. Echoing the sentiments of the UN General, we must fight Environmental practices that would result into global warming whose impact is to affect the population in every part of the climate including urban centers such as one we’re living in and some of the remote villages in the county of Kisumu.
“The time to save our environment is running out because with every additional environment of global warming and climate change the risks becomes worse. We in Kisumu tested the sad and painful effects of climate change when massive floods ruins parts of our county, displacing thousands of people, destroying homes and sweeping away livestock and acres of crops specifically the back flow from lake Victoria which has largely affected Nyando, Kadibo, Kisumu central and Seme sub counties.” Said Dr. Owilli
He added that according to theme of this year, it calls for a serious reflection since there are critical components which improve ecosystem services and support livelihood.
Mentioning Baby Pendo Botanic garden as one of the classical examples of land restoration as it was ugly site used to dump waste, an eye sore and environment hazard.
Dr. Mathew Owilli highlighted some of the strategies that needs to be put in place in order to curb desertification and land restoration which were:
- Gazettement of Koguta and Karateng’ forest
- Establishing tree nurseries across 7 sub counties.
- Allocation through budgeting process of environment management adaptation and mitigation.
- Environmental governance from ward level to county level.
- Strengthening institutional capacity and climate change unit with partners and stakeholders for sustainable land use.
The county has put in place environment committee that is coordinating matters of environment through the multi-agency environment. The county has also constructed waste sites that will create job opportunities at Otonglo, Obunga, manyatta, mamboleo and Kasawino according to Waste Act 2019
On the forest sector, he said that, the tree cover in Kisumu is currently at 8.6% from 4% 4yrs ago which he said is still very low, he appealed to the City manager to take a stun action to those allowing their livestock to destroy tree seedlings that are already planted In the city.
He concluded by saying that at the executive level, a policy has been developed to make the environment serve parts of the core duties of the Government. Therefore, all departments have tree planting as part of their performance evaluation agreement.
The partners who have worked closely with county government were awarded the certificates such as USAID, Aga Khan Hospital, Avenue Health Care, KIWASCO, Wildlife Club of Kisumu and Agro chemical and Food Company among others.
By: John Okoth Okeyo, Jephence Onyango, Monicah Dulo, Rodney Ogeto