BY CHARLES WASONGA: The government has announced that it has so far planted 1.8 billion trees under the Presidential 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme.
Launched on November 22, 2022, the flagship greening initiative aims to raise Kenya’s national tree cover to 30 percent by 2032.
Speaking after officiating a high-level breaking fast meeting in Nairobi that convened government officials, key forestry stakeholders, and development partners, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Forestry Gitonga Mugambi revealed that the department plans to plant an additional 2.5 billion trees during the impending El Niño rains.
The strategic forum was organized to allow donors, state actors, and private investors to explore green investment opportunities that align with President William Ruto’s broader environmental agenda.
PS Mugambi assured the public that the ministry has already secured sufficient seedlings across the country to execute the massive upcoming planting drive.
“So far we have planted 1.8 billion trees and intend to plant 2.5 billion more trees during the El Niño rains which we are told is in the offing,” PS Mugambi stated.
“We call on stakeholders, our donors, and Kenyans at large to support this initiative, since planting trees is everyone’s responsibility.”
From concept to action
The Principal Secretary issued a direct challenge to the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), the department’s dedicated research arm, urging scientists and field experts to pivot from drafting policy papers to active ground-level conservation and tree nurturing.
“We need action,” Mugambi emphasized adding that “If we are conserving mangroves, let’s do it. For our experts in Kenya, this is not the time to churn out concepts and ideas, but to act. Let us nurture the trees that we have planted so far.”
While commending the ongoing utility of the digital Jaza Miti mobile application, which tracks tree planting data and seedling growth nationwide, Mugambi stressed that digital tracking must be complemented by physical visits and ground inspection to ensure survival rates remain high.
Reiterating a firm administration stance, PS Mugambi maintained that national development goals must proceed concurrently with conservation programs, confirming that state infrastructure projects within gazetted forests will continue despite pushback from civil society groups and environmental activists.
Specifically, the PS noted that major state infrastructure, including the Talanta Sports City development along Ngong Road, will move forward, emphasizing that environmental conservation and urban development can coexist without stalling strategic national projects.
The statement follows recent public debate over the government’s plans to build an airstrip, a golf course, and a State Lodge inside the protected Imenti Forest in Meru County.
Despite an interim injunction issued by the Environment and Land Court in Meru halting construction pending a full judicial review, the State Department for Forestry maintains that the project is necessary to expand economic opportunities and air surveillance capabilities in the Mount Kenya region.
