The Principal Secretary For Gender and Affirmative Action, Veronica M. Nduva paid a courtesy call to the Vice Chancellor Egerton University, Prof. Isaaac Kibwage. PS Nduva was at Egerton University to join her
Senior Management team that was at the University for the Strategic Plan Drafting Retreat.
During the visit, the Principal Secretary explained in depth what it is that the State Department does, going into detail on each Directorate’s functions.

She inquired about the Gender Curriculum at the school and the Head of Academics explained that the have a Gender and Women Studies course beginning from Diploma to Post-graduate level. The Academic
Registrar then gave a copy of the Egerton University’s Gender Curriculum to the Principal Secretary for her further review.
The Principal Secretary having earlier expressed her desire to plant trees was met with an even better offer from the Vice Chancellor to gift the State Department for Gender an acre of land to plant trees. The
Tree Planting Initiative initiated by President William Ruto aims to plant 15 billion trees by 2032. This initiative will work to reduce greenhouse emissions, stop and reverse deforestation, and restore 5.1 million hectares of deforested and degraded landscapes through the African Landscape Restoration Initiative.

The Vice Chancellor led the Principal Secretary and the State Department Senior Management team to the ceremonial tract of land where visitors plant ceremonial indigenous trees whenever they visit the
Egerton University.
A total of 250 trees were planted that day, 40 indigenous trees and 210 cypress trees.
Planting on ‘The Gender Acre’ by the State Department Senior Management Team on Thursday 20th April 2023.
The University prepared the tract of land and provided 500 seedlings for the Team to plant trees on the Acre girted to the State Department as a way of ‘securing’ the land and marking it for future visitors from the

State Department and indeed the entire Ministry to be able to locate it and plant trees too.
Each one of the Officers present planted an average of 20 trees on the acre and about ¾ of the acre was covered in tree seedlings by the time the exercise was over.

The Management of the University thanked the Team for their great efforts and for playing their part is saving the planet. The Officers were also glad to fulfil President Ruto’s mandate to plant 15 billion trees by 2032.