The Ministry of ICT, Innovation & Youth Affairs has urged other institutions both from the public and private sectors to join in on the on the fight against Climate Change to increase forest cover in the country following President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive during the 2019/2020 financial year under ‘National Strategy for achieving and maintaining over 10% Tree cover by 2022’
Through a program dubbed One Tree One Device, the ICT Ministry plans to plant as many trees as the number of electronic devices delivered in learning institutions through the government’s Digital Literacy Programme that is meant to integrate technology in learning across our basic education.
Speaking during a tree planting ceremony in Mau Forest, ICT Chief Administrative Secretary, Ms Maureen Mbaka said the program has so far seen over 1.2 million devices distributed in over 22,000 public primary schools. Special Needs Schools have received over 1,724 hearing impaired learner digital devices, 1,000 visually impaired learner digital devices, 524 SNE teacher digital devices and 65 embossers.
“The theme speaks on electronic devices and the environment. This is in line with the government agenda on integration of technology in teaching and learning and environmental conservation. Our being here today is a clear demonstration of our commitment to addressing the matter of e-Waste – which is an emerging issue as we digitize” she said.
The exercise brought together leaders from the Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth affairs, ICT Authority and other stakeholders. On his part, the Authority’s acting CEO Dr. Kipronoh Ronoh Paul said there is a need to merge together technology and environment to enable sustainable growth.
“For a long time and across the world such an initiative has never been adopted since environmentalists and technologists have been working in divergence. The moment the environment becomes a key agenda in our development we will be able not only to double our successes but also sustain them since they will be on stable ground.” he said.
The Authority will adopt and care for the 5000 tree seedlings planted in the Mau Forest in addition to engaging Seven Schools in Bomet county, situated along the Mau complex to plant tree seedlings equivalent to 442 devices installed in all their schools.
Globally, the environment is under threat due to human development which is in conflict with the environment/ecosystem. E-waste has also become a big threat to the environment due to the rapid growth of the digital space.
