Swissport Kenya and NCBA Group have begun a Kiambu tree planting drive to grow 10,000 trees at Uplands Forest Station in Kiambu County, Kenya, planting 5,000 seedlings on 9 October 2026 in a joint drive to support forest restoration and climate resilience. The remaining 5,000 seedlings will be planted progressively over the coming months.
The exercise brought together Swissport employees, airline partners, the Kenya Forest Service and local communities. NCBA supplied all 10,000 seedlings through its Change The Story sustainability platform, while Swissport is running the initiative under its Green Skies Kenya programme, which turns the aviation ground-handling company’s environmental commitments into practical conservation work.
Kiambu tree planting: what happened on 9 October
The launch took place at Uplands Forest Station, where participants planted the first 5,000 seedlings together. Swissport Kenya chief executive Racheal Ndegwa said being a responsible business means contributing positively to the communities and environments in which the company operates, and that Green Skies Kenya is turning that commitment into tangible action by supporting forest conservation and bringing colleagues and partners together around a shared purpose.
NCBA’s head of sustainability described tackling environmental challenges as work that requires collaborative, long-term action, and presented the 10,000-seedling donation as part of the bank’s broader stewardship agenda. The partnership links two different sectors — aviation services and banking — around one conservation objective, with a public forest agency and local communities involved from the start.
Why forest restoration matters in Kenya
Kenya continues to prioritise forest conservation as part of its response to climate change, land degradation and growing pressure on water resources. Forests protect water catchment areas, reduce soil erosion, support biodiversity and help regulate water flows that underpin agriculture, urban water supplies and livelihoods.
Tree-growing programmes, however, deliver lasting benefit only if the young trees survive and grow. Reporting on the Kiambu launch notes that the partners have not disclosed the project’s budget, the tree species selected, or how they will measure survival rates as the restoration work progresses — details that will decide whether the 10,000 seedlings become lasting forest cover. Readers can follow more of Watan News’ climate coverage on the climate category page.
Key facts
- Swissport Kenya and NCBA Group are growing 10,000 trees at Uplands Forest Station in Kiambu County, Kenya.
- 5,000 seedlings were planted at the launch on 9 October 2026; the remaining 5,000 will be planted progressively over the coming months.
- NCBA supplied all 10,000 seedlings through its Change The Story platform, which targets 10 million trees by 2030; more than two million trees have been planted so far through its partnerships.
- Participants included Swissport employees, airline partners, the Kenya Forest Service and local communities.
- The partners have not disclosed the budget, the species selected, or a survival-monitoring framework.
