WRC marks World Environment Day by planting trees at Kasarani

The WRC Safari Rally Greening Legacy Project continued Saturday as the world marks Environment Day by planting trees at the Kasarani Stadium Complex.

The chief guest Kanze Dena, the State House spokesperson, urged Kenyans to support the initiative which targets to plant 19 million seedlings in the next three years. “One thing we know is that Safari is close to our hearts. The environment is second. Let everyone plant a tree a day,” she said.

“Today being an environment day, and with the government leading Kenyans in Garissa to plant trees, it’s all about ensuring we have enough tree cover in our country and it’s good to come and partner with WRC to come and plant trees here in Kasarani.

“Safari Rally is close to everyone’s heart. It’s an opportunity for us to come together as a country regardless of our tribe, and colours. Environment is one thing that brings us together. We all need clean air and the environment to be clear,” she added.

In her message the Sports Ministry Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said: “As we mark the World Environment Day 2021, the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage is committed to the theme of ecosystem restoration by planting 19 Million trees across the country through the WRC Safari Rally Greening Legacy Program.

“As we enter into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, Kenya believes that Sports and Culture for Environmental Sustainability is the new frontier to a safer, cleaner, greener and more natural world.”

Principal Secretary in the ministry Joe Okudo added: “Sport is a powerful tool to rally the world towards humanity’s most important responsibility; ecosystem restoration. The WRC Safari Rally Legacy Program is a core tenet of the Ministry’s Agenda to Build Back Better.”

The CEO of the WRC Safari Phineas Kimathi alluded that the exercise has so far seen over 600,000 trees planted this year and the targets to breach the 1 million mark before the Safari zooms off on June 24 outside the Kenyatta International Convention.

“To mark world environment day we are doing that in line with the Greening Legacy Project where we are targeting to plant 19 million trees in three years,” said Kimathi.

“We are doing 19 million trees to mark the 19 years WRC has been absent in Kenya. We are working with communities in different places.”

The project was launched by the ministry of sports CS Amina Mohamed and her Environment counterpart Keriako Tobiko in Kakamega Forest which targets 19 million seedlings in the next three years.