The recent bold step by President William Ruto to remane Utamaduni Day to Mazingira Day has been received well by environmentalists in the Coast region and countrywide.
The environmental activists said though Utamaduni Day is also good for the nation to observe and preserve national culture, heritage, history and diversity, the current situation of unpredictable weather and climate change should be prioritised.
Speaking in Mombasa on Sunday, Maji na Ufanisi, an environment, water and sanitation organisation, Coast regional Director Khamisa Maalim Zajjah noted that the transformative change in the laws of Kenya should now be transformed to real environmental actions.
Zajjah, who is also the Coast regional representative of the United Green Movement, a National environmental conservation lobby said it is time for concerted efforts in planting trees and conserving the environment.
“We should not only focus on October, 10th as A day to plant trees but deliberate further on how to mitigate climate change, prevent floods by detaching ourselves from water ways and water catchment areas and implement measures of harvesting water,” said the vibrant environmental activists in the Coastal region of Kenya.
Ms Zajjah said the Presidents’ initiative of planting 15 billion trees in the next decade is very noble, however, if Kenyans don’t back this initiative it might not be realised.
“I call upon every Kenyan to full embrace safeguarding the environment by planting trees, avoid littering all-over their localities and encourage each other to positively engage in fighting the climate change through positive initiatives,” she said.
The women, gender and persons with disabilities activist however, noted that Kenyans should not wait until October, 10th during which they will be marking Mazingira Day for them to act on various environmental aspects among them planting trees but instead make it a daily routine to safeguard the country from the wrath of mother nature.
“We cannot continue being killed by floods and also killed by drought. We should at the moment ask ourselves, what next after the heavy rains, floods deaths and destruction we are currently witnessing? posed the vocal activist.
Ms Zajjah called for concerted efforts in protecting the environment, to save lives and battle the effects of climate change.
In a bold step towards environmental protection and conservation President William Ruto recently assented amendments to the Bill, Public Holidays Act, renaming Utamaduni Day as Mazingira Day to be marked every October 10th, each year.
