Gichugu: Public Health and Professional Standards PS Mary Muthoni has called on Kenyans to uphold the highest standards of hygiene and actively participate in environmental conservation. Muthoni said doing so would supplement the government’s efforts to improve public health and mitigate the effects of climate change.
According to Kenya News Agency, the PS made the call during Mazingira Day celebrations at Ngiriambu Comprehensive School in Gichugu Constituency, where she led hundreds of residents, learners, and officials in a national tree planting exercise. She emphasized the close link between environmental care and disease prevention and raised concern over the recent cholera outbreak that has affected several parts of the country, including Narok where five lives have already been lost.
“Cholera is a disease of hygiene. It is preventable, and that is why we are urging all Kenyans to maintain the same high standards of cleanliness and handwashing practices that helped us during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Muthoni said. The PS stated that the Ministry of Health has intensified surveillance and prevention measures in the affected areas to stop the spread of the disease, adding that public cooperation was key to maintaining a healthy nation.
Muthoni stressed that the government remains committed to achieving President Dr. William Ruto’s vision of planting 15 billion trees by 2032, a national goal aimed at reversing environmental degradation, improving rainfall patterns, and addressing the growing adverse impacts of climate change. During the event, 15,000 fruit tree seedlings were distributed to schools and the public to support the national greening initiative. Muthoni said fruit trees will provide both environmental and economic benefits to the community.
Elsewhere in the county, during a tree planting exercise at Kianwe Comprehensive School in Ndia Constituency, Kirinyaga County Forest Conservator Caroline Njeru revealed that the county currently boasts a 30.3 percent forest cover, one of the highest in the Central region. She, however, emphasized that to meet the national target of 15 billion trees by 2032, Kirinyaga must plant at least 7.4 million trees every year for the next decade.
The Conservator urged residents to take advantage of every opportunity, including social and community events such as weddings, funerals, and church gatherings, to plant trees as a way of giving back to the environment. She further encouraged the public to prioritize fruit trees, citing their dual benefits to both the ecosystem and local livelihoods.
The Conservator called for closer collaboration between schools, local communities, and government agencies to nurture the culture of environmental stewardship and to ensure that every tree planted is cared for to maturity. “Tree planting should not end at the seedling stage. Let us water, protect, and monitor them. Only then can we truly make an impact and leave a lasting legacy for future generations,” she said.
