Written by Leonard Wamalwa 2012-06-19 20:11:00 Read 722 Times

Forestry and Wildlife Minister Dr. Noah Wekesa addressing his constituents in Kwanza  Lunyu Secondary School during the North Rift Environment Conservancy Day. [ PHOTOS | Leonard Wamalwa] 

Forestry and Wildlife Minister Dr Noah Wekesa has called on politicians in the country to preach peace among Kenyans as they campaign for different elective seats in the next general elections.

Speaking during the North Rift environment conservancy day of tree planting at Lunyu secondary school in his Kwanza constituency, Wekesa said that Kenyans are tired of experiencing violence every electioneering year and warned those with intentions of instigating violence to be wary of the International Criminal Court -ICC that shall take care of them.

"Kenyans are tired of the violence that this country experiences every time we go to elections and whoever thinks that will do the way it was done in 2007 then let me remind them that there is another court that can deal with them if the Kenyan courts cannot handle them and that is the ICC," Wekesa said.

He insisted that Kenyans want peace across the country and lauded the recent speeches of most leaders at the funeral of the late assistant Minister for Internal Security and Provincial Administration Joshua Orwa Ojode in his funeral at Ndhiwa constituency where they called for peace and unity among Kenyans.

However, the minister pointed out that politicians should stop preaching water and drinking wine whereby some of them are said to give good speeches at public rallies, but do exactly an opposite thing behind the scenes after such meetings.

At the same time he called upon councilors from Nzoia county council to do peaceful campaigns and lobby for a credible person to be elected to take over the seat of the chairman that was left vacant after the death of the former chairman Samson Bunyasi.

He stressed that senior politicians shall keep off from the campaigns but was quick to reveal that if the councilors fail to agree on a consensus on the way forward then they are free to seek for their support and guidance.

"We have given you chance to handle the matter yourselves because you have the votes yourselves, but if you reach a point that you need our assistance, then you can reach us so that I call upon constitution affairs minister Eugene Wamalwa and Cherangani MP Joshua Kutuny so that we can discuss the way forward to get a chairman who will hold the seat for the remaining period of this term," he said.

On environmental matters the minister who was accompanied by his permanent secretary Mohammed Wa Mwachai, Kenya Forestry Service - KFS board chairman Professor Richard Musangi and KFS director David Mbugua urged Kenyans to continue planting trees in their farms and in institutions to contribute immensely in raising the forestry cover in the country.

KFS board chair Prof Richard Musangi.

The country's forest cover according to the minister is ranging between 4-5 per cent at the moment as opposed to the 10 per cent cover required by international standards.

Trans Nzoia County has planted over one million tree seedlings this year and there is another one million seedlings yet to be planted by the residents.

Switch to Our Mobile Site