Tree planting in rural Kenya

Peris Wairimu, VoicesofAfrica alumna, Meru, Kenya (17 September 2009) Trees are mainly used in rural Kenya for construction and carpentry. However in recent years, trees have proven to have other values. Locals have understood that their water resources are better protected when the place is covered with trees. Rainfall run-off forested land much slowly than on the cleared land. Trees help in improving the climate also. If planted in dry areas, they protect soil from wind erosion, increase the amount of rainfall, prevent excessive evaporation from bare land and also add moisture to the atmosphere thus modifying humidity conditions. Trees are also very pleasant for picnic walks and other out door activities and if they are associated with lakes the y make excellent parks. In short trees are beautiful in themselves or may beautify the landscape. Trees provide with timber which has a wide variety of uses in construction and as an industrial raw material. The most important single use of timber in Kenya is as fuel and construction. Kenyans use relatively a large proportion of wood and charcoal as fuel. Apart from fuel, timber is also used in building and constructional industries. It is the basis of a wide range of wood working industries like producing furniture, boxes, crates and matches. Mean while timber is used in paper production It is because of all these uses that Mr. Mutahi Imanyara the chairman of Kenya Tea and Development Authority (KTDA owns over800 Acres of trees in the larger meru region. Though mutahis trees are not ready for harvest, the main target for his market is the Kenya Power and Lighting Company which will later use them as posts to transmit electric power.