Religious leaders, politicians told to spread tree planting gospel

PIC: Rotary Club of Kampala Metropolitan president Ronald Regan Namanya (wearing blue) planting a tree for his club as other club presidents look on. This was during the tree planting on Lugogo bypass in Kampala on March 31, 2018. (Credit: Lawrence Mulondo)

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY               

KAMPALA - In a bid to conserve the environment, the Rotary club in Uganda has asked religious leaders and politicians in the country to mobilise people to participate in both tree planting and their protection.

District 9211 executive secretary and governor nominee Francis Xavier Ssentamu said people have trust in the two categories of people, adding that any suggestions coming from them are taken seriously.

Ssentamu made the remarks during an event where Rotary club mission green presidents planted about 100 trees along Lugogo bypass in Kampala on Saturday.

The tree planting campaign is a part of district 9211 Mission green campaign that was introduced by district governor Ken Wycliffe Mugisha.

In the five-year campaign that was launched last year, Rotary aims at planting five million trees across the country and according to Ssentamu, they have so far planted about 50,000.
 
Ssentamu added that they chose to plant trees on Lugogo by pass because it was given to them by the city authority when it was still Kampala City Council (KCC) and was then named the Rotary Avenue.

Police officers planting a tree as the District 9211 executive secretary and governor nominee Francis Xavier Ssentamu (left) and other Rotary club presidents look on. This was during the tree planting on Lugogo by pass in Kampala on March 31, 2018. (Credit: Lawrence Mulondo)

"Trees are important in life, they cleanse the environment where we stay as they take in the carbondioxide from factories and cars and produces oxygen that we take in," Sentamu explained.

Rotary club of Kampala Metropolitan president Ronald Regan Namanya explained that they have planted Grevillea trees by the road, as their roots do not spread to spoil the road.

"We work with authorities to plant trees that are of importance to the community. We plant fruit trees in schools and most homes for people to eat, be healthy and earn money from," Namanya said.

He, therefore, thanked their partners such as KCCA, Uganda Police, the Office of the Prime Minister and Prisons for the support towards their campaign.

The president Rotary Club of Sunrise Kampala, Betty Muliisa, explained that as Rotarians, they were planting trees so that the country is saved from the drought that could occur as a result of deforestation.

While planting a tree for her club, the president Rotary Club of Kampala North, Cissy Mugwanya Droruga, said without trees, the oxygen will decrease in the world, and, therefore called on Ugandans to at least plant a tree each.

There are over 102 Rotary clubs in the country and all fall under district 9211 that takes Tanzania as well. 

On behalf of the Police, the officer in Jinja Road Police Station, Medaad Mpumuzibwe, thanked the Rotary clubs presidents for the tree planting campaign and pledged protection for the trees and their support towards the initiative.