Leaders Urge Communities to Embrace Tree Planting as KCB Donates 800 Seedlings to Lira School

31 July 2026, 10:27 pm

By Felix Omara and Frank Oyugi

LIRA CITY 31st July 2026: Local leaders, religious leaders and education stakeholders have called for increased tree planting to protect the environment following the donation of more than 800 tree seedlings to iBurlobo Rock View Primary School in Lira City East Division.

Speaking during the launch of the tree-planting exercise, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Opio, Parish Priest in Lira Diocese, urged political, cultural and religious leaders to take the lead in environmental conservation by planting trees and encouraging communities to do the same.

Fr. Opio said environmental restoration requires collective responsibility, adding that leaders should continuously sensitize communities on the importance of tree planting to combat the effects of climate change.

He revealed that he has personally planted about 4,000 trees and plans to continue expanding tree cover through annual planting initiatives.

Lira City East Division Councillor Charles Opio Olol welcomed the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention to improve the school’s environment. However, he noted that iBurlobo Rock View Primary School still faces several challenges, particularly an acute shortage of desks, which continues to affect learning.

Olol pledged to continue lobbying government and development partners to support the school with additional learning facilities.

The headteacher of Burlobo Rock View Primary School, Bonny Lino Okello, said the donated seedlings will not only beautify the school compound but will also provide fruits for learners once they mature.

He assured the donors that the school administration, together with pupils, would ensure the trees are properly nurtured to guarantee a high survival rate.

Daniel Ayena, the Branch Manager of KCB Bank, said the donation was made under the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme, which seeks to promote environmental sustainability and climate resilience.

Ayena said KCB Bank procured more than 800 tree seedlings for the initiative and urged the school to take good care of them. He added that the bank would regularly monitor the project to assess the survival and growth of the trees.

Burlobo Rock View Primary School, located in Ayago Ward in Lira City East Division, has an enrolment of more than 900 pupils. The tree-planting initiative is expected to improve the school’s environment while contributing to wider efforts to restore forest cover and mitigate the effects of climate change.