National Bank of Kenya (NBK) has partnered with the National Youth Service (NYS) to plant 50,000 tree seedlings in the Tana River Basin. This was part of the Greening Kenya Initiative by the financial institution, which is a subsidiary of KCB Group .
The tree planting campaign is part of government efforts to grow the country’s forest cover to 10 per cent in the next 2 years. It aims at growing and nurturing 50 million tree seedlings, with each parastatal allocated a quota. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates Kenya’s current forest cover is at 7%. The driving force of this initiative is the fact that forests help maintain high water quality, influence the volume of available water, regulate surface and groundwater flows and help reduce water-related risks such as landslides, floods and droughts.
The exercise was hosted by the Director General of National Youth Service (NYS), Matilda Sakwa at its Tana Basin Road Project facility, which serves as a practical training ground for servicemen and women, and an outpost for construction of Thika-Garissa-Bura-Malindi Road.
Nairobi residents depend on Tana River Basin as the main source of drinking water. The basin generates the bulk of the country’s hydropower and supports farming communities. To maintain this supply, more has to be done to increase forest cover within the region.
The Managing Director of National Bank, Paul Russo said: “Environmental conversation is a cause that is very close to the soul of NBK. Over the years, we have actively participated in tree planting exercises. This underlines our commitment to actively contribute towards shaping the future of our country, not only through provision of financial solutions, but also conservation and betterment of our environment”.