Murang’a water firms donate 10K fruit tree seedlings to promote conservation

Muwasco MD Daniel Ng'ang'a (left) and other members of Water and Sanitation Providers Association (WASPA) planting fruit trees seedlings at Rurii primary school in Murang'a on June 1, 2026/ ALICE WAITHERA

Water companies in Murang'a have donated 10,000 fruit tree seedlings to public primary schools across the county to promote environmental conservation, food security and water resource protection.

Learners, teachers, county officials and representatives from the water sector planted trees at Rurii primary school during Water and Sanitation Providers Association’s bi-monthly meeting.

MUWASCO managing director Daniel Ng’ang’a said the tree planting campaign is part of efforts by water utilities to support the government’s target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.

“Today we are planting more than 10,000 fruit seedlings and we are donating them to public primary schools. We are not only addressing the issue of deforestation but also food security,” Ng’ang’a said.

He said water companies have a responsibility to protect catchment areas and ensure sustainable supply for future generations through environmental conservation initiatives.

“As we are directed by the government, we are able to conserve our catchment areas and that is why we are here. This is not only happening in Murang’a. We’re going all over the country to ensure that we achieve the required coverage,” Ng'ang'a said.

The exercise brought together members of WASPA, an umbrella organisation of water service providers in Kenya. WASPA was established in 2002 to promote knowledge sharing, capacity building, advocacy and adoption of best practices among water companies.

The association brings together dozens of water service providers across the country and plays a key role in advancing sustainable water and sanitation services.

Murang’a Equity Bank branch manager Ken Irungu said the institution is partnering with communities and public institutions to support the national tree-growing agenda while improving livelihoods.

“The idea is to ensure that our environment is green and that we are able to conserve our environment by controlling soil erosion,”  Irungu said.

Apart from restoring environmental health, fruit trees will contribute to household nutrition and income generation once they mature.

County water executive Mary Magochi said the county government is supporting environmental conservation through various agroforestry programmes aimed at increasing tree cover while improving food security.

She said the county has continued distributing mango and avocado seedlings to farmers while linking them to markets to ensure tree planting remains economically beneficial.

“We are here today at Rurii primary school not just to plant trees, but to implant the culture of environmental conservation in our children,” Magochi said.

She said the government was working closely with water companies to improve coverage while supporting environmental projects that protect water sources and strengthen climate resilience.

Rurii primary school headteacher Rosa Ndirangu welcomed the donation, saying the institution will ensure the seedlings are properly nurtured and maintained.

She said learners will be encouraged to adopt and care for the trees as part of environmental conservation efforts within the school.

The fruit trees will provide shade, improve the school environment and contribute to the nutritional needs of learners once they begin producing fruits.

WASPA chairperson Thomas Odongo said water utilities have increasingly recognised the need to participate in environmental conservation because of the direct link between healthy ecosystems and sustainable water supply.

“We are faced with challenges of water security and water quality due to pollution of water bodies. If we don’t take part in water resource management, then we will wake up one day and have no water to distribute,” Odongo said.

He noted that tree planting helps protect water catchment areas, reduce soil erosion and improve the quality of water flowing into rivers and reservoirs.

Odongo said the association has made tree growing a key component of its meetings across the country as part of climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Involving schools in the exercise helps instill environmental stewardship among young people and ensure future generations appreciate the importance of protecting natural resources, he said.