By Enock Okong’o
A group of education professionals from Kisii County have appealed to the government to lend a helping hand in the global campaigns against climate change.
In a meeting that brought together specialists in botany and marine life led by Dr. Samwel Okemwa on Sunday, they underscored the importance of taking care of the environment.
“Unless we take care of our indigenous trees, water and wetlands, we will die of hunger and diseases,” said Dr. Okemwa.
He appealed to the President to take advantage of being outside the country and meet global leaders especially US President, Joe Biden and forge the way forward on global warming.
“President Biden is in the forefront in the advocacy against climate change. Let them discuss and bring us ways to fight gainst global warming,” he said.
The educationists reminded the President of the promise he made on the mitigation of climate change during his inauguration speech and promised to support him.
Dr. Kennedy Obiero of Kenyatta University asked the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to decentralize its services so as to allow residents to be fully involved in the fight.
“Let the Ministry provide funds for civic education on climate change,” he said.
He appealed to local writers to pen books in their vernacular to create awareness on the environment changes that are caused by man through ignorance.
Dr. Obiero said that there were many graduates of Biology, Agriculture and other sciences who could be employed as ambassadors in rural areas.
Quoting President Ruto’s bottom up approach for development, he urged Kisii residents to embrace individual responsibility for development because the country’s prosperity depended on collective responsibility.
During their three-day meeting whose focus was the demystification of climate change, they provided 5,000 indigenous seedlings to be planted at select schools within the nine constituencies of Kisii County.
