Chuka University VC Prof. Erastus Njoka, through the university’s tree planting scheme has hit one million trees.
The scheme which was started in 2019 has seen trees planted in almost every part of the county in an effort to go green.
While speaking at Maara where he had visited Gitombani Agribusiness Association, Njoka has mapped out plans to surpass the one million mark, with over 500,000 trees set to be planted this year.
The VC supported the group with avocado seedlings as he lauded the association, saying it was important as a tool to boost development in the area and asked more people to take up the idea and form groups that would help them benefit from programs around the county.
According to Njoka, the university is part of the government agenda to ensure environmental conservation and that it has an impact in the community, helping out farmers especially with the onset of the short rains to plant trees.
Njoka emphasized on the need to plant and grow avocados in the county, saying China and Korea provide a ready market for the product and that the county government ought to have adapted the idea since the area is rich in fertile soils and good climate.
“Our county is still lagging behind due to bad leadership. If we go on like this for five or ten more years we will suffer more. People have gained the dependency syndrome because they do not have money generating projects” - Prof. Njoka
The VC affirmed the need to have better projects in the county, saying farm produce had no ready market and that a change in leadership would see innovation and manufacturing as key projects in the area.
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