Pader Arsenal fans move to conserve the environment through tree planting

26 July 2026, 10:15 am

By Geoffrey Okwong

Pader Arsenal Fans Association has combined football celebrations with environmental conservation by planting trees in Pader Town Council, with district leaders calling on communities to make tree planting part of public celebrations.

The exercise brought together the Member of Parliament for Aruu County, Christopher Komakech, Pader District LC V Chairperson Alfred Akena, District Engineer Benedict Lubang, Pader Arsenal Fans Association Chairperson Alex Oyet Labeja, and other local leaders, who planted tree seedlings as a demonstration of their commitment to environmental conservation.

Speaking to the media after participating in the exercise, Komakech said the event demonstrated that there is a time for competition and a time for unity.

He said the tree-planting exercise showed that Arsenal fans had embraced environmental conservation by making it part of their celebrations, adding that such initiatives should be adopted by other groups to help create a greener and more beautiful environment while mitigating the effects of climate change.

Pader Arsenal Fans Association Chairperson Alex Oyet Labeja said the association has made tree planting a permanent feature of its activities in response to the growing effects of climate change.

Labeja observed that changing weather patterns, particularly the increasingly unpredictable rainfall seasons, require communities to plant more trees and adapt to the changing local climatic conditions.

He said the trees planted will help beautify the environment, provide shade, improve air quality and contribute to restoring greener landscapes and rainfall patterns.

Labeja added that the association plants trees every season, whether Arsenal wins a trophy or not, stressing that environmental conservation remains one of the club’s core community commitments.

The celebrations, which began on July 24, included a visit to Pader Health Centre III, a community cleaning exercise in different parts of Pader Town including Pader Main Market, and a visit to Kineni Government Prison in Pukor Sub-county as part of the association’s efforts to give back to the community.

The activities formed part of the Pader Arsenal Fans Association’s wider community outreach programme, demonstrating how sports supporters can contribute to environmental conservation, public health and community development beyond football.