Kenya Forest Service expands Kinale Tree Nursery from 200,000 to 8 Million capacity and is progressing well.
With it’s ambition to grow 15 billion trees by 2032, KFS is steadily transitioning from policy to implementation, with significant progress recorded in the expansion of the Kinale Tree Nursery.
Recently, Kinale Tree Nursery was inspected by the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) – Alex Lemarkoko. Once fully operational, the facility will increase seedling production forty-fold, from the current 200,000 seedlings to eight million annually.
The project is being implemented by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS). The State Department of Housing is also in the process of constructing barracks to host up to 400 youths from the National Youth Service (NYS), following a directive by President Dr. William Samoei Ruto, to provide readily available labour for seedling production.
In addition, KFS in partnership with the Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA), will construct a borehole at the nursery to address water scarcity and ensure sustainable irrigation for the seedlings production and availability to support the national tree-growing agenda.
During the inspection, the CCF expressed satisfaction with the progress of works and urged officers involved in the project to sustain momentum to ensure timely completion. He emphasised that the Kinale Nursery represents a strategic investment in environmental restoration, climate resilience and sustainable national development.
The CCF was accompanied by the Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests in charge of Natural Forests – Beatrice Mbula, Personal Assistant to the CCF – Evans Maneno, and KFS local officers.
Along with this, the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) – Alex Lemarkoko, hosted the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA) –Eng. Joseph Kamau, during a courtesy call, that aimed at strengthening inter-agency collaboration in support of the national tree growing initiative.
During the meeting, the two CEOs agreed to partner in the development of critical nursery infrastructure to enhance seedling production under the Government’s target of growing 15 billion trees by 2032. The collaboration will focus on improving water access and related infrastructure in strategic tree nurseries across the country.
A key priority identified it as the drilling of a borehole to support the Kinale Mega Tree Nursery, which is a flagship facility expected to produce up to eight million seedlings annually upon completion. Reliable water supply is considered essential to sustaining large-scale seedling propagation, particularly in the face of increasing climate variability.
This partnership underscores the Government’s collaborative approach to environmental conservation, bringing together institutions to ensure the success of national climate resilience and landscape restoration efforts.