President Ruto: Over 11,000 Youths to be Hired to Plant 1.5 Million Trees in Nairobi

President Ruto has said the government will employ over 11,000 youths from January to participate in a tree-planting program in Nairobi.

Speaking during Jamhuri Day celebrations at Nyayo Stadium on Monday, the president said the youths will plant a minimum of 1.5 million trees in the city’s open and public spaces as part of the project of greening the capital and combating climate change.

Ruto said the initiative is part of the government’s wider plan to plant 15 billion trees across the country and increase the national tree cover to 30 percent by 2030.

“To combat the effects of climate change, we have commenced our plan to grow 15 billion trees on 11 million hectares in every part of Kenya by 2030. Our objective is to increase the national tree cover from the current 12 percent to 30 percent over that period,” Ruto said.

He added: “This program will be implemented through the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with county governments and many other stakeholders, local and foreign.”

Last week, Environment and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya announced that the government will introduce a Certificate of Green Conduct that will be a requisite for one to receive government services. Tuya said the certificate will be issued to citizens who participate in tree planting initiatives across the country. 

"We will award Kenyans who are participating in the effort to green our country with a certificate of green conduct. The government will attach high value to the document and it will be a requisite document for one to access government services and even jobs in this country," she said.