NYERI: Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome led an initiative to plant 15,000 tree seedlings at the Gathiuru Forest Station in Kieni, Nyeri County, as part of Kenya’s ambitious Jaza Miti Campaign.
According to Kenya News Agency, the tree-planting effort aligns with the government’s goal of planting 15 billion trees by 2032 and a presidential directive for Kenyans to plant at least 300 trees annually. Ms. Wahome disclosed that the Ministry of Lands aims to plant 100 million trees by 2032, with 126,400 seedlings already planted in the past six months in collaboration with other state agencies.
The Ministry has adopted 593 hectares in Nyeri for this campaign, successfully planting trees on over 70 hectares of degraded forest land. Ms. Wahome emphasized the importance of collaboration with Community Forest Association (CFA) members, promising support through training in forest management and aligning regulations of the Forest Act of 2016 to encourage cooperation betw
een forest communities and the Kenya Forest Service.
Nyeri County’s forest and tree cover stand at 40.89 percent and 45.17 percent, respectively, with plans to increase forest cover to 43 percent by 2027. Despite these achievements, the CS urged residents to adopt tree-planting practices at home to contribute to the national goal.
Ronald Mwiwawi, Nyeri County Commissioner and acting Central Region Commissioner, highlighted an ongoing campaign by National Government Administrative Officers to plant 3,000 trees monthly in their areas, aiming to enhance food security and combat climate change impacts. The county has planted 2.75 million trees, expecting further increases as landowners are encouraged to participate.
Nyeri Forest Conservator Esther Mugo praised the addition of forest rangers for boosting the Kenya Forest Service’s surveillance capabilities and preventing illegal forest activities. She noted plans to focus on increasing tree cover in the arid and semi-arid regions of Kieni Constituency, which co
nstitutes 52 percent of the county, through partnerships with various institutions.