Dedan Kimathi University of Technology in Nyeri County, Kenya, hosted the national World Environment Day 2022 event today.
The event’s subject was “Only One Earth,” with the motto “Together We Can Protect It.” The topic was a rallying cry to safeguard the Earth from the ravages of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
Joel Kitili, Secretary of Administration at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, spoke on behalf of Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko during the ceremony.
The government has taken initiatives to combat the triple consequences of pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change, according to the CS.
“We need to stand up for our only home.  We are running against the clock, we need to act now. Since we are the ones who have created the problems, we need to provide solutions to save our mother Earth,” NEMA Director General, Mamo B. Mamo stated.
NEMA has adopted a number of policies to protect the country’s environment. The Authority conducted approximately 2306 inspections around the country in 2021 alone.
Effluent Discharge Licenses, plastic bag bans, Environmental Impact Assessments, and environmental audits are among the inspections.
He went on to say that NEMA has recently been named Africa’s Environmental Regulator of the Year in Ghana.
This was in response to the Authority’s efforts to ban plastic bags in 2017. As a result, the country has served as a resource for other nations in the region.
Many African countries turn to Kenya for direction and benchmarking in the fight against plastic waste.
Most Rev. Anthony Muheria, Archbishop stated that it is a religious duty to protect the environment as we are the stewards of the Earth. He added that it should be everyone responsibility to correct what is going wrong within our environment.
The Nyeri Governor, H.E Mutahi Kahiga was represented by the CEC for Environment and Climate Change, Kinyua Wanjohi. He noted that the County boost of its various initiatives it has put in place to protect the environment such as cleanups, tree planting and growing as well as protection of natural resources.Â
During the event, 2,030 indigenous tree seedlings were planted to mark the commemoration. A further 17, 000 was donated to the University to be planted at Tanyai Forest block in Muringato forest station through the adopt a forest initiative.
