MARSABIT — In a boost to local environmental conservation, the Marsabit Truck Drivers Association (MTDA), in collaboration with the Marsabit Municipality, has planted 55 tree seedlings and over 300 flowers along the median of the busy Marsabit-Moyale highway. The joint initiative aims to beautify Marsabit town, enhance local air quality, restore regional biodiversity, and mitigate the growing impacts of climate change.
MTDA Secretary Shukri Ibrahim highlighted the crucial role trees play in buffering the region against severe weather cycles, including recurrent droughts and flash floods. Calling on government bodies and local stakeholders to join the movement, Ibrahim emphasized that environmental stewardship requires a unified front and active youth education to safeguard public green spaces.
Marsabit Municipal Manager Boru Golicha praised the initiative, noting that it directly aligns with Governor Mohamud Ali’s broader vision for sustainable urban development and an improved quality of life. Golicha urged residents to take advantage of the upcoming short rains to set up tree nurseries and plant both shade and fruit-bearing trees, such as mangoes and avocados, to strengthen local food security alongside beautification efforts.
Addressing urban management challenges, Golicha issued a firm warning against illegal waste dumping, which frequently clogs drainage channels and worsens flood risks. He reiterated that the municipality will strictly enforce environmental cleanliness standards to protect public investments in urban infrastructure.
Local faith leaders also lent their voices to the campaign, urging collective community responsibility to restore forest cover in the semi-arid county. Anglican Church of Kenya (Diocese of Marsabit) priest Canon Kargi Denge emphasized the mental and physical health benefits of green spaces, while advising residents in high-risk, steep-slope areas to relocate ahead of expected El Niño rains in mid-October.
Echoing these concerns, Sheikh Abdullah Ali warned that environmental degradation negatively impacts natural water resources and river flows across the county. He called on every resident to take personal accountability for nature, stressing that unchecked environmental damage leaves the entire community vulnerable to natural disasters.
