The Ministry of Environment and Forestry has been directed to intensify protection and rehabilitation of the country’s water towers.

Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi said serious intermediate remedial action should be directed to protect the increasingly vulnerable Government’s gazetted forests.

He also said the Kenya Water Towers policy and bill are being drafted to protect among other issues, protect forests.

“We have to align our policies to ensure that we consistently conserve, protect and sustainably manage our environment. Making investments today that will protect us and the generations to come in the future.” he stated.

“I impress on you to hasten and intensify protection, reforestation and rehabilitation of Kenya’s water towers. Sometimes, we mistake tree cover where we have achieved 12.1 per cent of the 30 per cent target with forest cover,” Mudavadi said on Thursday when he launched the Ministry’s Strategic Plan 2023-27 in Nairobi.

Statistics that show Kenya’s forests are fragmented across the country and combined, forests cover over 37 million hectares.

Out of those 37 million hectares, 2.1 million are woodlands, 24.8 million are bush lands and 10.7 million are wooded grasslands.

“We are at a meager 9 per cent forest cover, purely out of neglect and destruction. It is commendable what we have done to protect the Mt Kenya Water Towers. The annual community rehabilitation of Kaptagat Forest also requires emulating,” he said.

“The Kenya Kwanza directive on achieving at least 15 billion trees to have been planted by the year 2032 should remind us of an obligation that we have to undertake seriously as a country to ensure we are key players in the fight against climate change.” he added.

Similarly, he pointed out the need to accelerate the protection of the Mau Water Tower.

In Kakamega, the only existing tropical rainforest is under encroachment threat, the Tsave Tsavo Ecosystem Restoration Initiative in Taita/Taveta County needs support and the Maragoli Hills Forest now stripped bare of tree cover, requires urgent reforestation.

Mudavadi said these areas require fencing and security by enough wardens to protect these forest areas against human activity.

“I have been approached by these counties to patronize these mitigation activities through planned Marathons to fund afforestation. I ask for your support,” he said.

According to Mudavadi, Kenya is buffeted by climate change and has just been through a worst drought in 40 years.

As a nation highly dependent on agriculture and tourism, he noted that climate change is a priority and the country cannot turn its back on this, adding that adaptation and mitigation measures required, including early warning mechanisms are not cheap.

This, however, he said does not mean Kenyans should fold their hands and hope for the best.

“We must soil our hands today, to prevent catastrophes tomorrow. This is why I am impressed by details on intervention measures in your strategic plan, under the topic on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Key Result Area,” he explained.

As he launched the Plan, Mudavadi insisted that it is not only a results-based management tool but also an instrument with which the public service will use to account for its existence.

Mudavadi warned that gone are the days when the only delivery accounting tool was to report to work and leave at own pleasure.

He said there are no longer shortcuts to efficient and effective public service delivery that Government is committed to.

“Today, as long as you remain in the public service, make strategic plans, service delivery standards, citizen service delivery charters, annual work plans, performance contracts and staff performance appraisal, part of your second nature,” he said.

As far as performance management, which falls under his office is concerned, Mudavadi said he ‘does not intend to take prisoners on this’.

He said strategic plans are not just ornamental documents, even as he warned that organizations will be judged on their suitability to remain relevant by cascading the Plans to their signed performance contract, annual work plans and to whether or not they attained individual targets set out.

“Least I am misunderstood, such an exercise will carry no favour, ill-will or vendetta. We will use your own commitments to judge your relevance because the Government has made promises to Kenyans under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BeTA), that must be fulfilled. If you are not ready to better the lives of Kenyans, we will not retain you against your will,” he affirmed.

On job creation, he said the Ministry has recruited the first 2,700 forest rangers and is about to recruit a Green Army of 4000.

Under the Ministry’s stewardship, Mudavadi said the 15-billion national tree cover campaign will also directly contribute to job creation when youth and women groups grow and sell seedlings for the greening campaign; and in the long-term, provide nutrition and timber products.

“I trust that it will help us create jobs during the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste, apart from providing a clean and healthy environment as anticipated by the Constitution.”