A section of GDC staff teamed up with officials from the County Government of Nakuru to mark this year’s World Environmental Day on June 5, by rehabilitating the Menengai Forest in Kiamaina, Bahati Sub County. World Environmental Day is an annual event that aims to create awareness and action toward the protection of the environment by addressing environmental issues such as marine pollution, human overpopulation, global warming, sustainable consumption and wildlife crime.
The exercise comes barely two months after a wildfire had destroyed a large section of the forest, which borders the Menengai Geothermal Project. Mr. Gabriel Wetangula, Manager, Safety Health and Environment (SHE) department led the GDC team, while Mr. Timothy Kiogora Muriithi, the Nakuru County Chief Officer Environment, Energy and Natural Resources led the representatives from the County, which included the Menengai Forest Manager Mr. Erastus Gakono and Kiamaina area Chief Mr. John Kirao. The team planted over 5,000 tree seedlings.
Speaking during the exercise, Mr. Gakono stressed the importance of planting trees, noting that forests were an important feature in the human ecosystem and more so in mitigating the devastating effects of climate change.
“It is important that we invest in tree planting so as to ensure we maintain one of the most important asset for our survival. It is incumbent upon us to take environment conservation as a personal responsibility, for we are all bound to suffer the consequences of neglecting our forest cover,” said Mr. Gakono, “ We need to work together to avert cases of forest destructions that are mainly caused by human activities within our forests,” he added.
Meanwhile, a GDC team led by Senior Safety Engineer Mr. Patrick Oyugi planted trees on Friday, June 3, 2022, in the Menengai Geothermal Project area. Mr. Oyugi urged staff to protect the environment by planting trees and protecting the already existing ones. Some of the tree species planted included the Eucalyptus, Syzigium cumini, Prunus Africana, Ficus sur (Cape fig), Casaurina equisatifolia (Whispering pine / she oak), Markhamia lutea (Markhamia) and Cuppressus lusitanica (cypress).
