State targets to plant 100m trees as Kenya marks Mazingira Day

Environment PS Festus Ng’eno and Forestry PS Gitonga Mugambi during a media briefing on Mazingira Day yesterday /GILBERT KOECH

The government has unveiled ambitious plans to grow at least 100 million trees during Mazingira Day on October 10, a new public holiday dedicated to environmental stewardship.

Some 71.1 million of the seedlings will be fruit trees planted across 35,570 public and private primary schools nationwide. Each school is expected to grow at least 2,000 trees.

Forestry PS Gitonga Mugambi, alongside Environment PS Festus Ng’eno and other senior officials, announced the plan during a media briefing on Tuesday.

They said Mazingira Day, established to replace Utamaduni Day under the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, 2024, will rally Kenyans to plant trees, clean up the environment and embrace sustainable practices.

Mugambi said the campaign is designed to merge environmental restoration with economic empowerment.

“Fruit trees are good for nutrition. In the next two to three years they will create jobs, wealth and protect the environment,” he said, adding that the value per tree is estimated at Sh10,000. If well managed, 100 million trees could generate Sh1 trillion annually.

He urged Kenyans to return to their former primary schools, donate seedlings and take part in clean-up exercises under the rallying call 'Turudi Primo: Tu-kadonate Fruit Trees na Ku-clean Environment'.

Environment PS Ng’eno said the day will also spotlight waste management, recycling and the circular economy to create green jobs for youth and position Kenya as a regional hub for sustainable manufacturing. The campaign, he said, will build on the October 3 Chief Climate Action Day and link with other initiatives like environmental sports championships.

National celebrations will be hosted at Kabuyefwe Primary School in Trans Nzoia county, with countywide activities led by administrators, Nema, KFS and the Ministry of Education.

Officials urged Kenyans to seize the opportunity to contribute to the government’s broader 15 billion tree campaign, with over one billion trees already planted.