at Sasumua Dam at the foot of the Aberdares on Mashujaa day – 20th October 2010.

The event was organized by the University’s Community Outreach Programme (COP) in partnership with Athi Water Service Board (AWSB), Cooper K-Brands Ltd, Sinohydro, GIBB Africa Ltd, Nairobi City Water Sewerage Company (NCWSC) and the Sasumua community. It was an extension of the ‘going green’ philosophy that has been actualized in the new ultra modern green buildings the University is putting up as part of its third phase of physical development.

The tree planting exercised kicked off at around noon with a forester demonstrating how to handle seedlings before planting and how to firmly have them rooted. Soon after that everyone embarked on serious planting and by 1.30 pm over 5,000 seedlings had been planted.

The local community participated in the project through the ‘Kazi kwa Vijana’ initiative. It also provided 10,000 seedlings of indigenous tree species. The community prepared the ground and planted 5,000 trees two days prior to the event.

Expedition
After planting the seedlings, participants walked along a 2.5 km trail with a panoramic of the swelling river that ended at the dam. The dam is being expanded and a new weir has been reconstructed using the latest technology.

Eng. Agnelo Fernandes of engineering firm GIBB Africa said that the rehabilitated dam which is yet to be commissioned will hold 17,000,000 cubic metres of water and will be supplying Nairobi with 250,000 cubic metres of water. It currently supplies only 56,000.

To complete the day, the participants visited the water treatment plant where they saw how the collected water is transformed from unsafe drinking water to safe drinking water.

COP plans to organize many more such activities.

By Roselyne Warau