Balanced News: Kenya: government declares public holiday to plant trees

The Kenyan government declared a public holiday to encourage residents to plant 100 million trees across the country. President William Ruto has pledged to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 to boost Kenya’s forest cover after a severe drought. Despite torrential rain, hundreds of people in Nairobi gathered to plant trees. However, Ruto faced criticism from environmental groups for announcing the resumption of logging after a five-year ban. The forestry industry contributes to Kenya’s GDP and provides employment opportunities.