The government has made tremendous progress towards the target to grow at least 15 billion trees by 2032 under the National tree growing restoration campaign.
The Campaign is aimed at reducing greenhouse emissions, stopping and reversing deforestation and restoring about 5.1million hectares of deforested and degraded landscapes through the African Landscape Restoration Initiative.
On 8th April 2025, the government, with collective efforts from individual Kenyans, corporates, the private sector and agencies had planted 783 million trees.
The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Deborah Barasa said that the private sector has played a critical role in supporting smallholder farmers to participate in the tree growing campaign.
Speaking on Wednesday, in Kakamega during the launch of One Acre Fund’s Tupande Tree Growing Initiative 2025, the CS said the ambitious goal to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 is a promise to our children and a testament to our collective results to combat climate change, restore our ecosystem and secure a greener more prosperous Kenya.
She noted that One Acre Fund through the Tupande programme has already planted an outstanding 97million trees across Kenya distributed to over 1.4million farmers and 37 000 institutions.
The organization has set a target to distribute 46 million tree seedlings to institutions, farmers and individuals through its 330 operating nurseries spread out across the country this year. The progress of the trees is tracked through Jazamiti App.
“Tupande Nursery propagates over 20 indigenous, exotic and fruit tree species. The 330 tree nurseries are spread across 34 counties. Remarkably, 25 percent of these nurseries are owned and operated by women, proving that this movement is also about empowerment, equity and opportunity,” the CS noted.
She also disclosed that Kakamega County has grown 21 million trees and has set a target to grow 20.86 million trees annually to achieve 30 percent tree cover from the current 18.21 per cent.
Tupande Director Michelle Kagari said that the organization’s goal is to support farmers to plant trees within their parcels of land to reverse deforestation and reduce greenhouse emissions.
She noted that One Acre Fund distributed a total of 150 million tree seedlings through schools, churches, hospitals and direct farmer outreach between 2021 and 2024.
“Farmers can access a variety of tree seedlings for both timber and fruits through our extensive network of nurseries. These include Grevillea, Makhamia, Cordia, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Grafted Avocado, Macadamia, orange seedlings, passion, tree tomatoes and pawpaw,” she noted.
Kagari said the Tupande tree nurseries have also created employment since they are run by a Tree Nursery Manager with each nursery employing five marketing agents.
“Any farmer who walks into one of our nurseries gets 20 free seedlings before any purchase. For farmers enrolled with Tupande, they get 30 free seedlings for the season, this means that whether a farmer buys seedlings or not, Tupande ensures every farmer can plant trees every season,” she added.
To support the initiative, The County Executive Committee Member for Environment, Water, Natural Resources and Climate Change Peninah Mukabane said Kakamega County Government is supporting tree nursery establishment through the climate change programme.
“We are setting up five nurseries this year alone and we have already set up the county climate change governance structure up to the ward level,” she said.
Mukabane noted that the county government has partnered with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Rhino Ark and Safaricom to erect an electric fence around Kakamega Forest.
“We are beginning to see the results of the Kakamega Forest Fencing project because there is regeneration of Natural Biodiversity that had since disappeared after some time. The indigenous trees that are used for medicinal plants have also started coming up,” she disclosed.
By Moses Wekesa
