By Bernard Munyao and Anjilwa Francis
A motor vehicle manufacturer has embarked on the establishment of tree nurseries that will propagate thousands of seedlings towards the government’s programme on tree planting and conservation of degraded forests.
Isuzu East Africa Company through its Foundation has established tree nurseries in Murang’a, Machakos and Mombasa that will produce more than 250, 000 seedlings by the end of 2026.
The company’s director Charles Kariku speaking at Kiamuturi forest in Murang’a, last Friday said with the nurseries, residents will not suffer to get seedlings to plant in their farms and also in rehabilitation of destroyed forests.
“We aim to support planting of more than 250,000 trees by 2026, and our target is that the Aberdares tree nursery will facilitate our goal by providing 100,000 seedlings towards the initiative,” he said.
Launching Kiamuturi tree nursery which currently has capacity to produce 52, 000 seedlings, Kariuki said his firm will partner with other groups, individuals and the government in the planting and nurturing of trees in various parts of the country.
During the occasion, the nursery was handed over to Greenshine Aberdare Self-Help Group which will manage it and later sell the seedlings to Isuzu East Africa once they mature.
Afterwards, the company will plant the tree seedlings on degraded forest areas and along riparian lands.
“Greenshine will be managing this nursery and Isuzu East Africa Foundation will buy the trees from the self- help group and plant them along the Mathioya river or in the Aberdare forest,” added the director.
Kariuki noted that since the project began in August 2022, the local community has been empowered through the connection of piped water to their homesteads for the first time.
Additionally, the tree nursery created employment to the community who earned through erecting structures for the nursery.
Locals also benefited from fruit tree seedlings donations, which Kariuki said will uplift the community economically.
“As we were establishing the nursery, we facilitated water to be brought in this community. We also planted indigenous trees and donated fruit trees to empower the community and ensure sustainability of the project,” he remarked.
To preserve trees, Kairuki urged Kenyans to embrace modernized methods of generating fuel instead of cutting down trees for firewood and charcoal.
“If we are to achieve the government’s target of planting 15 billion trees, citizens should start using recent fuel technologies like LPG and electricity, and stop depending on firewood and charcoal,” he opined.
Greenshine Aberdare Self Help Group secretary Kariuki Gakure noted that the group’s members will benefit immensely through direct sales generated from the seedlings.
Gakure further highlighted that fruit trees donated to locals will also provide nutritional value to the community.
“Members of the group will start making a living out of the sales we make by selling seedlings to the Isuzu Foundation.” Added the secretary.
The project, Gakure believes, will also increase water supply in Nairobi since Aberdare forest, which is a catchment area for rivers that supply Ndakaini dam, will be restored to its originality once the trees from the nursery are planted thus influencing more rains.