West Pokot Residents Called Upon to Establish Environmental Care Strategies

By Benson Aswani,

The state of drought has continued to be witnessed in West Pokot County due to illegal cutting down of trees which are being carried out by the residents.

Speaking on Wednesday at an event to celebrate the World Environment Day organized at Holy Cross Kacheliba Boys’ High School, an officer in the county’s environmental authority NEMA, Cliff Parkach, said the situation may continue to worsen if measures are not put aside to take care of the environment.

“Arbitrary cutting of trees by residents in their daily activities has greatly contributed to the drought that is being witnessed in this county, and we may continue to witness this situation if steps are not taken to change this pattern,” said Parkach.

The Senior Official in the Ministry of Water, Environment, Natural Resources in West Pokot County Leonard Kamsait said that climate change will only be faced out through environmental conservation by planting fruit trees.

“In order to protect our environment, we have to plant fruit trees where we will also be benefiting from getting fruits, while at the same time ensuring that we face climate change,” said Kamsait.

On his part, the host of the celebration, Holy Cross High School Principal, Stanley Pilakan, said that his school has been greatly involved in the conservation of the environment through planting trees and preventing soil erosion, stressing that it is everyone’s responsibility to contribute to these efforts.

“We have armed ourselves in this school in planting trees where so far we have planted more than 200 trees. It is our responsibility to ensure that we take care of the environment,” said Pilakan.