A "Cleaning up Kenya Campaign" was announced last Saturday by President Uhuru Kenyatta during the inauguration of a new park in the capital Nairobi.
Finally, the Kenyan Government has finally taken up the requests of the many environmentalist associations (and his wife Margaret, a fervent ecologist) who have already organized, first of all "Malindi Green And Blue", the initiative that has seen several members of the community of the coastal town unite and organize for a year, from March 2019 until the closure decreed unfortunately by Covid-19, the monthly cleaning of an area of the urban territory.
The President said that the "Cleaning up Kenya Campaign" will officially start on September 1, 2020 and will be led by the cadres of the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO).
"The campaign will be coordinated by officials of the National Government Administration at the local level, who will work together with communities and stakeholders both inside and outside the government to improve the restoration, conservation and management of the environment," the President said, "this initiative will improve not only the efforts being made in terms of environmental conditions, but also those to raise the level of sanitation in the country. As part of Kenya's clean-up campaign, local leaders are urged to constructively involve vulnerable members of their local communities and marginalized groups such as women, youth and people living with disabilities".
It is no coincidence that the President announced this initiative, which is likely to be monthly and follows the weekly initiative of his colleague Paul Kagame in Rwanda, during the inauguration of Michuki Memorial Park, a new green lung in Nairobi dedicated to the memory of former Environment Minister John Michuki, who played a key role in the clean-up of the Nairobi River and surrounding areas during his term in government.
President Kenyatta stressed that, in addition to Michuki Park, the government is working on the renovation of several other green spaces within the city, including Nairobi Arboretum, Karura Forest, City Park and Ngong Road Forest.
"We are aiming for 10% national forest coverage. We hope to extend this revival of our environment or what I call the "green renaissance" to all the counties of the Republic - concluded Kenyatta, admitting the mistakes of the recent past - As a government, we have not done enough to increase the civic responsibility of citizens in taking care of green spaces, which are fundamental to make us breathe and support the growth of cities, of which parks are also places of meeting, expression, recreation and popular reflection. Let's remember that in a park, Kamukunji Grounds, for the first time the question of Kenya's independence has been raised".