Kenya targets 17.24 million trees as Ruto leads Mazingira day drive

NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 10 – President William Ruto is set to lead Kenyans in marking this year’s Mazingira Day celebrations on Saturday, with the government targeting the planting of 17.24 million trees across the country.

The national celebrations will be held in Trans Nzoia County as Kenya steps up efforts to restore degraded land and achieve its target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.

Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa said more than 51,000 community planters would take part in activities at 79 sites across 31 counties, with millions of seedlings expected to be planted.

“Every tree will be counted, geo-tagged and certified. This is accountability in action,” Barasa said, outlining plans to track tree planting and monitor progress.

The exercise will involve government agencies, schools, community groups, village elders, the Kenya Prisons Service and the National Youth Service. Digital tools will also be used to record and monitor tree-growing activities.

Kenya is banking on the initiative to restore forests, protect water sources, improve soil health and strengthen its response to climate change.

The government has previously reported that 2.2 billion trees had been planted towards the national target of 15 billion by 2032.

This year’s celebrations are being held under the theme, “Our Environment, Our Responsibility: Collective Action for Tree Growing and Environmental Stewardship.”