By Dorothy Musyoka
The Ministry of Environment has launched the Tupande Tree Growing Programme 2025, marking a significant milestone in the 15 billion tree campaign.
The launch of the Tupande Tree Growing Programme 2025, a flagship initiative of One Acre Fund, marked a significant milestone in national reforestation journey.
Speaking at the event, Cabinet Secretary for Environment Deborah Barasa acknowledged the vital contributions of diverse private sector partners.
The programme aims to help Kenya achieve 30% national tree cover within the next decade.
Special recognition was given to One Acre Fund, particularly through its Kenyan subsidiary, Tupande, for its transformative work with smallholder farmers across the country.
“Their dedicated collaboration with smallholder farmers has been instrumental in directly supporting the government’s overarching environmental objectives. This partnership exemplifies how targeted private sector initiatives can effectively empower local communities to actively participate in large-scale reforestation efforts, yielding tangible and meaningful progress towards our national tree-growing targets,” stated CS Barasa.
Despite this progress, the Ministry highlighted the ongoing threats to Kenya’s forests, including illegal logging, encroachment, and overgrazing.
In addressing the challenges, the ministry revealed that the government has rolled out a suite of legislative and policy reforms aimed at strengthening forest governance and deterring environmental crime.
“These measures are crucial in establishing a robust framework for environmental protection and in deterring unlawful activities that undermine our conservation efforts. We are committed to enforcing these regulations rigorously to protect our forest ecosystems for present and future generations,” noted CS Barasa.
The CS urged Kenyans to take advantage of the ongoing rains and plant at least 100 trees this season.
“I urge all Kenyans to seize the opportunity presented by the ongoing long rains and actively participate in tree planting initiatives. It is imperative that we collectively recognize the critical role of increased tree cover in safeguarding our nation from the devastating impacts of climate change, such as prolonged droughts, destructive floods, and the subsequent economic setbacks that have cost our nation significantly in recent years,” stated the Environment CS.
“I call upon every Kenyan to plant at least 100 trees this season, reinforcing the vital restoration efforts undertaken by the private sector and complementing the government’s unwavering commitment to a greener and more resilient future for Kenya,” she added.
The launch event brought together key players in Kenya’s forestry and conservation sectors, including Forestry Development Secretary Mr. George Atari, Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Mr. Alex Lemarkoko, Tupande Director Mitchelle Kagari and One Acre Fund CEO Mr. John Clark, among others.