The state plans to grow 15 billion trees in the next 10 years at a cost of Sh600 billion, in a bid aimed at combatting the effects of climate change.
On Tuesday, Kefri chief executive Dr Joshua Cheboiwo said they have been given a target of 1,000 metric tonnes of seeds for 10 years.
“This translates to 100 metric tonnes per year. We are now approaching 50 metric tonnes per year,” Dr Cheboiwo said.
The CEO spoke to the Star at Kereita forest in Kiambu county on the sidelines of the International Day of Forests.
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 21 the International Day of Forest in 2012 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests.
During the commemoration, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organise activities involving forests and trees such as tree-planting campaigns.
Dr Cheboiwo said Kefri has three responsibilities with regard to the 30 per cent tree cover 2022-32.
“One is to provide seeds to all stakeholders in the country. We have to accelerate our collection and processing to move towards 100 metric tonnes per year,” he said.
He further said Kefri is also making operation an ICT platform known as ‘Jaza Miti.’ The platform helps those planting to know the species that is best suited to their areas.
It also records the number of trees that have been planted to ensure higher survival rates.
Dr Cheboiwo said Kefri also has the responsibility of providing technical support and capacity building to those with nurseries every time they require science-led advice.
The CEO says the institution is also establishing a commercial and forest innovation centre to be a one-stop shop for those who want to invest in forestry, adding that such investors get all the information they need to venture into forest operations.
Dr Cheboiwo said Kefri has also been promoting bamboo in the country, adding that there was only one species of bamboo in the country which is found in high-altitude areas such as Mount Kenya, Mau and Cherangany.
The CEO said other bamboo species were introduced in 1986.
“We introduced 12 at that time and only four did relatively well,” he said.
Dr Cheboiwo said another four were not doing very well, adding that Kefri has since mapped the country into bamboo zones.
“We have been assisting the stakeholders across the country to import seeds and also training them on how to propagate bamboo in their nurseries for purposes of selling,” he said.
Dr Cheboiwo said Kefri wants to start establishing plantations to help boost the 30 per cent strategy.
“We have the responsibility of establishing 500 hectares of bamboo in the next 10 years. This will help to demonstrate the commercial viability of bamboo to enable other stakeholders to take up,” he said, adding that bamboo has several uses.
Results generated from the recent National Forest Resources Assessment 2021 indicate that Kenya has 7,180,000.66ha of tree cover, representing 12.13 per cent of the total area.
From the assessment, up to 37 counties out of the 47 (79 per cent) have a tree cover percentage greater than the constitutional set target of 10 per cent tree cover.
In addition, results reveal that the country has a tree cover per capita index of 1,507.48m2 per person.
The findings indicate that the country has 5,226,191.79ha of national forest cover, which represents 8.83 per cent of the total area.
The report shows the distribution of forests and tree cover across the 47 counties.
The Central region, parts of the Western and Coast regions are the most forested.
The proportions of total land area under forests and tree cover vary significantly by ecological regions and counties.
Of significance is that 21 counties have forest cover above the national forest cover (8.83 per cent), while 26 counties’ forest cover fell below the national forest cover.
The results show that up to 10 counties have a tree cover less than the constitutional target of 10 per cent.
Nyeri has a tree cover of 45.17 per cent, Lamu (44.06) and Vihiga (35.92).
Counties with the lowest tree cover include Kisumu (8.85), Busia (8.39), Uasin Gishu (8.04), Taita Taveta (6.87), Isiolo (6.7), Machakos (6.03), Siaya (5.27), Wajir (4.45), Mandera (3.61) and Marsabit (2.06).
The report shows that wooded grasslands account for the highest land cover in Kenya, with approximately 70 per cent of the total land area.
The report was launched at State House Nairobi by then-President Uhuru Kenyatta on May 27.
