Kenya planted more than 3.3 million trees in a single hour on Saturday as part of the government’s “Green Challenge”, a nationwide one-hour tree-planting drive held during Mazingira Day celebrations on October 10.
The exercise mobilised communities, schools, government institutions and the private sector across the country, and officials said the reported figure was still rising as more data came in from the field.
The one-hour Green Challenge
According to a Cabinet dispatch issued on October 9, the Green Challenge aimed to mobilise 200,000 Kenyans to plant six million trees within one hour, forming part of Mazingira Week activities running from October 5 to 10.
A state forestry official told People Daily that Kenya had recorded 3.3 million trees planted on Saturday alone, with the figure still climbing. The same official said the country had reached 4.41 million trees planted during Mazingira Week, crediting public awareness campaigns and collaboration between government agencies, communities and the private sector.
President William Ruto joined the national celebrations in Endebess, Trans Nzoia County, where he planted trees alongside local residents. The national ceremony was attended by thousands of participants from across the region.
Two billion trees on the national dashboard
The state forestry official also announced that Kenya had crossed the milestone of two billion trees on its national tracking dashboard, which monitors tree-planting activities across the country.
Kenya is working toward a national target of growing 15 billion trees by 2032, with the aim of raising national tree cover to 30 per cent. Government figures indicate a long road remains, making continued planting — and the survival of planted trees — central to the programme.
From planting to survival: seed balls and aerial seeding
Addressing participants, the President urged communities, schools and the private sector to go beyond planting seedlings and prioritise their care and survival so the environmental benefits last.
He highlighted cost-effective approaches to restoring degraded landscapes, including aerial seeding and the use of seed balls in forest restoration programmes, according to reporting from Kibabii University, whose team participated in the challenge at the Agricultural Development Corporation Farm in Kitale.
At that site alone, participants planted and watered more than 2,000 tree seedlings, and the remaining seedlings were distributed to local residents to plant in other areas.
Villages, prisons and the youth service join the count
Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa said the national campaign brought together a whole-of-society effort. Village elders planted 100 trees in each of the country’s 77,252 villages, while the Kenya Prisons Service planted one million trees across 68 facilities and the National Youth Service planted 1.5 million trees.
The Kenya Forest Service and Community Forest Associations mobilised more than 51,000 community planters at 79 sites in 31 counties to plant over five million trees. Seedlings had been distributed to designated locations and planting sites prepared ahead of the celebrations, she said.
462,299 hectares under restoration
Beyond the mass planting, the Cabinet reviewed plans to restore 462,299 hectares of degraded landscapes under Phase III of the Green Zones Development Support Project, an initiative expected to rehabilitate damaged ecosystems alongside ongoing tree-growing.
The Cabinet also approved additional financing for the Financing Locally-Led Climate Programme, which supports community-led climate projects in all 47 counties to help residents cope with droughts and floods.
The drive has also renewed debate over the cutting of mature trees in some forest areas, a concern raised by conservation voices in Kenyan media — a reminder that protecting existing forests matters as much as planting new ones.
FAKTA
- Kenya planted more than 3.3 million trees in one hour on October 10 under the Green Challenge; 4.41 million across Mazingira Week, according to state forestry officials.
- The national tracking dashboard has crossed two billion trees planted.
- The target: 15 billion trees by 2032 and 30 per cent national tree cover.
- Kenya Forest Service mobilised 51,000 community planters at 79 sites; village elders, prisons and the youth service all took part.
- The Cabinet approved restoration of 462,299 hectares under Phase III of the Green Zones Development Support Project.
- President Ruto pushed seed balls and aerial seeding, and urged Kenyans to prioritise seedling care and survival.
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