This archive report was first published on 25 April 2020.
Kenya is experiencing ideal conditions for tree planting, with ongoing rains supporting the efforts of the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to boost forest cover by 10 per cent in the next two years.
As of April 25, 2020, the KFS had already made significant progress in its efforts to increase forest cover, with Chief Conservator of Forest Mr. Julius Kamau disclosing in October last year that the service had laid out a strategy to achieve this goal.
The strategy aims to increase forest cover from the current 7.2 per cent to 10 per cent by 2022, requiring the planting of 1.8 billion seedlings between now and 2022. To achieve this target, the KFS needs Sh48 billion.
Board Chairman Mr. Peter Kinyua led a tree-planting exercise at Kabaru Community Forest on Friday, where 9,720 seedlings were planted. Chief Conservator of Forest Mr. Julius Kamau was at Ragia Forest station in Kiambu County for a similar exercise.
The Ragia station has been planting 40,000 assorted tree seedlings during this rainy season, with 22,000 already planted to date. The target is expected to be achieved by the end of the month.
Mr. Kinyua also visited the Kabarua Community Station's tree nursery, where the Community Forest Association (CFA) has over 500,000 seedlings, with 200,000 ready for planting.
"Attaining the 10 per cent tree cover by 2022, one creative avenue for the service is in forming partnerships with among others, non-state actors through tree planting initiatives that aim to spur a tree growing culture among our youth today," Mr. Kamau said.
Mr. Kinyua noted that the country is currently receiving sufficient rains that support tree planting and urged Kenyans to undertake tree planting initiatives within their private farms and gardens.
"This will go a long way towards contributing to the realization of the 10 per cent tree cover by the year 2022," he said.
