The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry Cabinet Secretary (CS), Dr. Deborah Mlongo Barasa, has held a strategic meeting with the 15 billion Tree Growing Programme Secretariat and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) to review progress, improvements, and opportunities to strengthen Jaza Miti as a key tool in Kenya’s environmental restoration agenda.
Dr. Barasa emphasized the need for Jaza Miti to be transparent, accountable, and accessible to the public, enabling Kenyans to participate actively in environmental restoration and track progress in real time.
According to the CS, the improved Jaza Miti platform allows the public to upload environmental activities and events, including the time, date, and location, and share them on social media.
“This will strengthen public participation while making restoration efforts more visible and accountable,” she added.
Further, the CS urged that Jaza Miti must go beyond counting trees planted, insisting that it should demonstrate the real impact of restoration on water security, biodiversity, ecosystems, livelihoods, and climate resilience.
Dr. Barasa noted encouraging growth in the planting of fruit trees across the country, demonstrating how tree growing can provide both environmental and economic benefits to communities.
As Kenya advances the 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme, the CS assured that Jaza Miti will help showcase progress in tree nurseries, seedling production and distribution, tree growing, landscape restoration, and ecosystem rehabilitation.
Notably, she highlighted that the President has adopted a multi-layered approach to accelerating the 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme, bringing together technology, innovation, community participation, and large-scale restoration.
This, she said, includes technology-enabled solutions such as drones for seed dispersal, alongside conventional tree growing, restoration of degraded landscapes, expansion of tree nurseries, and mobilisation of communities across the country.
“As we prepare for Mazingira Day, the Ministry is calling on all Kenyans to turn environmental awareness into action. The day is an opportunity to plant and nurture trees, restore degraded ecosystems, protect water sources, and conserve biodiversity,” rallied the CS.
Through Jaza Miti, Dr. Barasa reaffirmed that Kenyans will increasingly be able to see, participate in, and track these actions.
This, she stressed, will strengthen transparency and accountability while ensuring that every tree grown contributes to a greener, healthier, and more climate-resilient Kenya.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Felix Kisalu, Director of the 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme; Ms. Susan Boit (National Coordinator of the 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme Secretariat); and Dr. Jane Njuguna, CEO of KEFRI.
By Michael Omondi
