Kenya Announces National Holiday for Planting Trees
The Kenyan government declared that the 13th of November will be a national holiday for letting citizens plant trees.
The national holiday is the government’s scheme to grow 15 billion new trees by 2032. This plan comes after Kenyan President Ruto has prioritized the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Program since coming into office in September 2022.
On 6th November, Kenyan Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki posted about the new national holiday on X, saying,”The Government has declared a special holiday on Monday, 13th November, 2023, during which the public across the Country shall be expected to plant trees as a patriotic contribution to the national efforts to save our Country from the devastating effects of Climate Change.”
The post included a photo of the Kenyan Gazette’s special issue, published by the Authority of the Republic of Kenya.
Global warming is worsening the droughts in Africa, including in Kenya.
The government saved $80 million this tax year for the nature restoration program. Kenya’s forests cover 7% of the country. The scheme aims to combat global warming by upping Kenya’s trees to cover 10% of the country’s land.
As trees store carbon, contributing to the atmosphere heating up, this tree-planting movement would directly combat global warming. Deforestation stops trees from absorbing carbon, and the burning process alongside it produces carbon dioxide.
‘Solidarity With the Environment’
For the project, The Kenyan Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry Ministry promised it would give tree seedlings for the project.
The ministry said the national holiday is “an unprecedented show of commitment by the Government towards our climate action obligations.”
Environment Minister Soipan Tuya added that this vacation day is for “solidarity with the environment.”
“It is a moment for Kenyans to stand in solidarity in the defense of our environment, it’s a ‘hummingbird’ contribution day, all of us pulling together to fight back the climate change crisis,” she said.
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