Samburu County staff commemorate World Cleanup Day

Samburu County Government’s Environment and Natural Resources staff celebrated the world’s Clean-Up Day and International World Ozone Day on Thursay by creating awareness on the importance of conserving the environment.

Led by the county’s director of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr david Lengalae and Maralal Forest Station’s Manger, Mr Waithaka Mugunyi, the members of staff collected waste in Kisima Town before moving to Kisima Girls Secondary School where they planted trees in commemoration of the two global days.

Mr Mugunyi urged locals to plant trees in large numbers, saying trees would reduce the ozone layer destruction that might lead to severe climate change.

“Planting trees is the solution to most problems. They will provide us with a good environment, shelter and fresh air among other benefits,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Samburu County Government has planned to buy garbage collection trucks and dust bins in order to improve cleanliness in the county’s towns.

“We are in the process of procuring refuse collection trucks and dust bins to be supplied in our main towns as well as fencing of designated sites for garbage collection to ease cleaning up of our environs,” said Ms Grace Seneiya, county executive committee member (CEC) for environment and natural resources.

She said a clean and health environment would reduce the cost of hospital bills resulting from infection of airborne and waterborne diseases due to dirt.

Ms Seneiya also urged members of the public to ensure that both liquid and solid wastes are properly disposed of in the designated places.

The CEC urged the locals to embrace sustainable management of forests and rangelands in the region as they act as sinks for the greenhouse gases that are emitted from locomotive engines.

She added that the gases contribute to damage of ozone layer, which turns into unfavorable climate change.

The  County’s Executive Committee Member  CEC pledged that the county government through her department was in the forefront of developing and implementing environmental conservation and management initiatives that will be geared towards increasing vegetation cover in the county.