Kenya: Eastern and Coast Conservancies boosts tree growing efforts in support of the 15 billion trees initiative. The Kenya Forest Service (KFS), alongside key partners and stakeholders, has intensified tree growing and restoration activities across the Eastern and Coast Conservancies in a series of impactful exercises conducted between late March and early April 2026.
In Embu County, a major rehabilitation effort at Irangi Forest (Karimari Beat) saw the planting of 10,000 seedlings over 10 hectares, led by the Principal Secretary from the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry and attended by the Deputy Governor of Embu County. Additional restoration activities in the county included water catchment rehabilitation at Kanyonga Wetland (2,000 seedlings), riverbank stabilisation along River Thambana (400 seedlings), and multiple farm and institutional plantings in Mbeere North, collectively contributing to landscape restoration and community resilience.
Across Embu County alone, a total of 14,100 seedlings were planted. Further efforts in the Eastern Conservancy extended to Tharaka Nithi and Makueni counties. In Tharaka Nithi, tree growing activities at Magumoni Girls Secondary School and Naka Riparian Area resulted in the planting of 3,500 seedlings across 3.5 hectares, with support from stakeholders including the Ministry of Education, Rotary Club, Kenya Red Cross, and Chuka University.
In Makueni County, Mukaa Sub County recorded the establishment of a 0.5-hectare woodlot at Kithia Location with 1,200 seedlings planted in collaboration with the AIC Kithia Youth Group. Altogether, the Eastern Conservancy achieved an impressive total of 18,800 seedlings planted, reflecting strong multi-sectoral collaboration and commitment toward environmental conservation.
Meanwhile, in the Coast Conservancy, restoration efforts in Kipini Mangrove Forest, Tana River County, saw the direct planting of 50,000 mangrove propagules alongside the establishment of a nursery with 1,400 Avicennia marina seedlings. The exercise, conducted under the FLOCA program, brought together local administration, Community Forest Associations, the County Government, and KFS, underscoring the importance of community-driven restoration in fragile coastal ecosystems.
These combined efforts across conservancies highlight Kenya’s unwavering momentum towards achieving the national target of growing 15 billion trees by 2032, reinforcing climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable livelihoods.