GOVT ORDERS RRI ON MANGROVE CONSERVATION

CS, Mr. Keriako Tobiko, with wananchi during the cleaning exercise of the Indian Ocean shoreline at the Tudor Creek, Mikindani, Mombasa County.

The Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Mr. Keriako Tobiko, has decried the low acreage of the mangrove forest in Mombasa county, which is at 3,700 hectares, as opposed to Lamu’s 38,000 hectares, and has directed the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), to immediately undertake a 100 day Rapid Result Initiative (RRI) to re-afforest mangroves in the County to mitigate the effects of environmental degradation

Speaking at the Tudor Creek, Mikindani in Mombasa County, when he officiated during the mangrove forest restoration tree planting partnership, between the Kenya Forest Service and the Insurance Regulatory Authority, The CS observed that, mangrove forests are key to regulating climate at the coast, since they capture carbon dioxide from the environment at a rate that is five times more efficient than other forests, and  stressed on the need for partnerships with conservation groups and the county governments to ensure the 10% tree cover is achieved by 2022.

Mr. Tobiko, who later led wananchi in a clean-up exercise of collecting plastic litter at the Indian Ocean shoreline at the Tudor creek, urged the youth and women to collect plastic bottles to rid the coastline environment of the eyesore, and as a source of income. He further directed the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to issue license to Morden Soap recycling company, which collects plastic bottles from local communities to start recycling work immediately.

The CS. Mr. Keriako Tobiko inspecting the on-going mangrove tree planting at the Tudor Creek, Mikindani.