Kibaki set to skip Mau event

The Mau Forest tree planting event was on Wednesday evening thrown into further doubt after indications that President Kibaki may skip the exercise.

State House said that the President had not given a date on when the ceremony in the Mau would take place.

It also released a copy of President Kibaki's New Year speech, and paid particular reference to excerpts on conserving the environment and climate change.

"I also urge all Kenyans to individually take responsibility over our environment, to engage more aggressively in water harvesting and to use available water resources prudently. Let us make the year TWENTY TEN the GREEN YEAR FOR KENYA.

"In this regard, more emphasis will be placed on energy production via green pathways including geothermal and wind energy. We will also begin an ambitious plan of planting trees and get our forest cover to ten percent," said part of the speech.

The dispatch, released just hours after Prime Minister Raila Odinga had said that President Kibaki had assured Kenyans that he will lead tree planting in the Mau, seems to suggest that the latter might miss the Friday date.

Another statement from the Presidential Press Service said that the President will attend a judges' swearing-in ceremony on Friday, the day set aside for the tree planting.

President Kibaki will witness Judges of the Interim Independent Constitutional Dispute Resolution Court take the oath of office at State House, Nairobi.

On Tuesday, The Nation reported that the exercise might not go ahead after the Mau Secretariat team, which is coordinating the rehabilitation of Mau, was informed that briefings for the President and the PM had been called off at the last hour.