Kenyans from across the country have come together to mark Mazingira Day 2025 with a call to action in restoring the country’s environment through tree planting and sustainable stewardship.
Speaking on Friday, Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura said the day, themed Citizen-Centric Tree Growing and Environmental Stewardship, underscores the government’s commitment to mobilizing communities towards achieving Kenya’s ambitious target of 15 billion trees by 2032.
“Mazingira Day and its related events are a national call to action for every Kenyan to contribute to the country's environmental restoration efforts by planting and nurturing fruit trees,” he said.
“President William Ruto, Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Heads of State Corporations, and other senior government officials will today, each lead local tree-planting activities, setting an example of leadership through action.”
According to him, each local primary school is expected to plant at least 2,000 fruit trees under the #TurudiPrimo initiative.
The seedlings, he said, are being sourced through the National Youth Service (NYS) programme, which has been instrumental in supporting the government’s reforestation drive.
Mwaura stated that since 2022, the government has overseen the planting of over 1.06 billion trees nationwide, marking steady progress toward achieving 30 per cent forest cover within the next decade.
The Spokesman added that environmental conservation remains a cornerstone of Kenya’s development agenda, linking ecological restoration to economic empowerment and food security.
“Mazingira Day is not just about planting trees; it is about restoring hope and responsibility for a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable Kenya,” he said.
He said Mazingira Day forms part of a week-long series of government activities aimed at enhancing public service delivery, promoting accountability, and driving environmental sustainability under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
The initiatives, he said, align with the government’s goal of excellence and citizen-centered service delivery.
“Every Kenyan has a right to be treated with dignity, courtesy, and fairness in all government offices, and as part of this year's Public Service Week. The government, therefore, reaffirms its dedication to transparent, efficient, and citizen-centered public service delivery,” he said.
“This commitment underscores the government's ongoing reforms to strengthen professionalism, performance, and accountability across the public sector, ensuring that public service remains responsive, people-driven, and guided by integrity and excellence.”
On youth empowerment, Mwaura highlighted the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project, being implemented in partnership with the World Bank.
The initiative targets over 820,000 youth across 1,450 wards, offering on-the-job training, business start-up support, and recognition of prior learning.
“Each selected youth entrepreneur is to receive Sh50,000 in startup capital alongside training and mentorship with 50 per cent gender parity and inclusion of youth with disabilities up to 35 years,” he said.
“The rest of the youth is up to 29 years (18 to 29 years). Eligible applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as the application window closes on October 12, 2025.”
Mwaura stated that due to the robust performance of the economy, the government has gained significant traction in tax collection, as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) recorded a high performance in September.
“A landmark achievement in customs tax collection, a historically Sh85.146 billion. This has not happened before. This represents the highest amount ever collected in the authority's history, surpassing the previous record of Sh82.554 Billion as set in January 2025.”
He said performance is driven by strong collections from both trade and petroleum taxes.
Mwaura noted Kenya’s economic progress, citing prudent debt management and strong revenue performance.
He said the country has raised USD 1.5 billion to partly repay the 2028 Eurobond, marking renewed investor confidence.
