A sustainable environment is a fundamental pre-requisite in national development, poverty eradication and improved livelihoods for all generations.This is according to the Ministry of Environment & Mineral Resources in Kneya. It is in this regard, that the MMUST Department of Biological Sciences environmental club, in conjunction with Stand Up Shout Out (SUSO) Kakamega division and Organization of Environmental Conservationists (OEC) came together in a peaceful campaign to sensitize Kakamega residence on proper waste disposal and waste management, all geared towards a cleaner and healthy town on Saturday 27th April, 2019.
The event which started at the university graduation square was marked by Kakamega town clean up. This comes amid calls to conserve environment with fears of climatic change in Kenya as a result of environmental degradation. Mr. Humphrey Agevi, the patron of the environmental Club said “it is important for us to observe Environmental Conservation in relation to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG goal number six (6) focuses on Clean Water and Sanitation. Clean environment begins with us. It is important as an environmental club, to show a good example which other people can emulate”. Mr. Agevi further said that it is our responsibility as a nation to come up with way to curb environmental challenges which include pollution, deforestation global warming and climate change, land use and waste management. He said the coming together together of the envirnmental oriented clubs for one goal of bettering our environment was a big stride towards realizing the SDGs as far as the environmental matters are concerned. Currently the world population is estimated at seven (7) Billion people. There a lot of waste being produced as a result of this population. Half of the wastes produced is not collected, treated or safely disposed off. This is causing a global waste crisis. Susustainable Development goals cannot be achieved if waste management is not addressed as a priority.
The SUSO Chairperson, Mr. Lennox Kaleka Muganda noted that the next big activity will be massive tree planting in the university and in Kakamega town environments. “Sustainable Development Goal number thirteen (13) is Climate Action. Trees are very key in this and we are going to work in patnership with the Kenya Prisons who have 100 acres of land willing to be filled with trees as part of contributing to the 10% tree cover that is also envisaged in the Kenya constitution and which the president has reiterated to fully support”, said Mr. Muganda. This initiative was also supported by the county government of Kakamega who provided the means to dispose of the wastes collected.
By Shiundu Wilberforce (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
