Singapore firm to help communities in Kitui, Baringo earn carbon credits

Community groups in semi-arid Kitui and Baringo counties are set to earn carbon credits courtesy of landscape restoration and livelihood project supported by an investment firm in Singapore.

Jonathan Muriuki, the regional director Global EverGreening Alliance, through which funding was sourced from the Singaporean firm known as Temasek, said 2.1 million trees will be grown and nurtured.

“Funded by Temasek, an investment company headquartered in Singapore, this project aims to establish 2.1 million trees in the two counties, half of them in Kitui, through planting and natural generation,” he said.

Muriuki’s remarks where contained in his message that was read by his organisation's head of policy Atieno Ndirangu at Tiva River Environmental Group site in Kitui Rural subcounty on Tuesday.

Ndirangu represented Muriuki during the launch of $15,000 solar-powered water sump-well project supported through Global EverGreening Alliance.

The project undertaken in Kitui county and midwifed by Adra Kenya, which is a partners in the Global EverGreening Alliance, was handed over to members of the Tiva River Environmental Youth Group.

Muriuki said besides benefiting farm-hold owners, the targeted trees would draw down carbon from the atmosphere, which would be converted to carbon credits.

“Half of the carbon credit will be issued to the investor, a returns to their investment, while 45 per cent will be sold at a voluntary carbon market and the revenue paid to tree owners,” he said.

The Global EverGreening Alliance official, however, lamented that soon after the project was launched in Kitui in 2021, a drought that hit Kenya was a setback as tree-planting was halted for sometime.

“In December 2022, Adra rolled out a very successful farmer managed natural regeneration initiative with the community and helped renew the hope with our investor that the project would take off, after all,” Muriuki said.

Additionally, he said, Temasek in December 2022 extended a $15,000 Christmas card to Global EverGreening Alliance that went to the construction of the water sump-well for Tiva River Environmental Youth Group.

Tiva secretary Danlewis Mbula lauded Global EverGreening Alliance and Adra for the water sump-well project, saying it was a big boost to tree-planting, livelihood and land restoration activities.

“The project has ensured we have adequate water for tree planting and growing crops. Since it is solar-powered, we no longer have to dig deeper into our pockets to get fuel for our generators as was the case in the past,” he said.

Mbula was optimistic that in no time, the area will be covered by trees and the site will be a source of all types of tree seedlings that could be sold to other people involved in tree planting.

Adra project manager Micheal Imujaro said the water project was pivotal in making the Tiva Environmental Youth Group a reliable source of tree seedlings for local community and neighbouring areas.

“The project we are undertaking is supporting community nurseries with water facilities. The water facilities are meant to make the nurseries produce quantity and quality seedlings for tree growing ,” he said.