‘Kenyan garden’ takes shape

Kenya has moved to make good on its president’s promise to contribute a themed garden to the National Botanical Gardens, sending two forestry scientists here.

The arrival of two researchers from the Kenya Forestry Research Institute in Nairobi to begin preparations for the Kenyan mini-garden fulfills an agreement by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Mia Mottley during the Kenyan leader’s visit here in early August.

The researchers are to conduct assessments on two acres of land in the botanical gardens adopted by the Kenyan Government.

As he called on Minister of Environment and National Beautification, Trevor Prescod, the East African nation’s envoy, Anthony Muchiri, suggested the Kenyan garden’s indigenous African trees are planted there will help Barbadians to “remember their kin in Africa”.

The Senior Deputy Director for Research and Development at the Kenya Forestry Research Institute and a colleague are due here to assess the soil quality and environment at the gardens to ensure that the native trees from Africa can thrive there, High Commissioner Muchiri said.

Minister Prescod said he was “happy” that Kenya would play an important role in the development of the National Botanical Gardens.

He told the envoy: “Developing an institution of that type, such as the Botanical Gardens, really requires not just workers, but workers with a scientific mind and workers with a sense of history and purpose in order to know exactly what it is that is required, especially when there is going to be such heavy emphasis on the indigenous nature of the plants within that botanical garden.”

Kenya’s contribution to the National Botanical Gardens would help Government achieve its goal of developing it indigenously, said Prescod, who also discussed tourism, education and bilateral relations with the Kenyan high commissioner.