Leaders in Kenya’s cooperative movement have renewed their commitment to environmental conservation, pledging to intensify tree planting efforts in support of the government’s ambitious 15 billion trees initiative aimed at increasing forest cover, mitigating climate change and protecting the country’s natural resources.
Speaking during the Cooperatives Environment Day held at the Jamhuri Showground in Nairobi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Cooperative Alliance of Kenya (CAK) and Vice-Chairman of the Ushirika Day Celebrations Council, Daniel Marube, said environmental conservation was critical to safeguarding the country’s future food and water security.
Marube warned that continued environmental degradation could expose the country to serious challenges, including declining rainfall, food shortages, water scarcity and rising energy costs. He noted that climate change was already affecting livelihoods, particularly in agricultural areas that depend heavily on reliable weather patterns.
“If the earth is not sustained, it can be very harsh on us. If we experience very dry conditions for three years in Kenya, we usually experience loss of livestock due to drought,” he said.
He stressed that tree planting remains one of the most effective ways of restoring ecosystems, improving soil fertility and sustaining rainfall patterns. Marube urged cooperative farmers and members across the country to make tree planting a routine activity rather than an occasional exercise.
According to him, every farmer should aim to plant and nurture at least three trees annually as a contribution toward environmental conservation and climate resilience.
“By doing so, we are sustaining rainfall, increasing oxygen in the environment and improving our soils to grow better crops,” he said.
Marube emphasized that tree planting should not be treated as a symbolic one-day event but rather as a continuous responsibility that requires long-term commitment and proper maintenance.
“We have not come here to plant trees and forget about them. This is a day to remind us that continuously we need to grow, plant, take care of and nurture trees,” he said.
He encouraged communities to embrace the planting of fruit trees such as avocado and guava, noting that such species provide multiple benefits, including environmental restoration, improved nutrition and additional sources of household income.
Marube said CAK and cooperative leaders would continue collaborating with environmental committees and local communities to ensure newly planted trees are properly maintained through regular watering and protection until they mature.
He further called on Kenyans to adopt responsible environmental practices, including conserving water resources, avoiding pollution and embracing farming methods that protect water catchment areas while improving soil quality.
“As the cooperative movement, we are number one in supporting the government to grow trees, preserve forests and ensure our water resources, rivers and springs are protected,” he said.
Co-operative Bank Co-operatives Banking Division Director Vincent Marangu said the cooperative movement has made significant progress in environmental conservation over the past decade through sustained tree planting programmes.
Marangu revealed that cooperatives have planted more than 30,000 trees in various parts of the country during the last ten years, with many of the trees successfully surviving and contributing to increased vegetation cover.
He attributed the high survival rate to the involvement of communities living around the planting sites, who are engaged and supported to maintain the trees throughout the year.
“The success rate of the trees we plant here is almost 90 percent because we plant and then dedicate resources to people around here to maintain them,” he said.
Marangu noted that several locations where cooperatives planted trees years ago have since developed into thriving forested areas, demonstrating the long-term impact of sustained conservation efforts.
To further expand the initiative, the cooperative movement is seeking additional land from the government, including areas around Ngong Hills, where it hopes to establish a larger tree planting site that could serve as a dedicated cooperative environmental conservation zone.
He said cooperatives across the country had set a target of planting at least 20,000 trees during the Ushirika Day celebrations period, with activities taking place simultaneously in different counties.
The programme has attracted participation from cooperative members, youth groups, students from the Co-operative University of Kenya and local community organizations, reflecting a broad-based commitment to environmental stewardship.
“We are telling our members to go back home and continue planting trees. Today was just a ceremony of our commitment to tree planting,” he said.
Marangu observed that agricultural cooperatives have a particularly important role to play in supporting the country’s tree-growing ambitions because farmers are among the largest landowners and land users in Kenya.
He estimated that cooperatives could make a substantial contribution toward achieving the national tree planting target through their extensive membership networks spread across the country.
Millions of cooperative members continue to receive environmental conservation messages through annual general meetings, training programmes, workshops and other cooperative forums, creating a powerful platform for awareness and action.
The cooperative leaders also urged farmers to adopt climate-smart and climate-resilient agricultural practices by planting suitable tree species, integrating commercial fruit trees into farming systems and working closely with agricultural extension officers and county governments.
They noted that changing weather patterns and increasingly unpredictable rainfall require farmers to embrace sustainable practices that protect ecosystems while enhancing agricultural productivity and food security.
Marangu said individual cooperative members could make a significant contribution by planting trees around their homes, farms, schools and community spaces.
“If each member can grow 10 to 15 trees every year, including fruit trees, we will be able to achieve the environmental cover we need, get sufficient rainfall and create a healthier environment,” he said.
The cooperative movement said environmental conservation remains an important part of its broader mission of promoting national unity, economic empowerment and community resilience.
The leaders noted that this commitment aligns with the theme of this year’s International Cooperative Day celebrations, which focuses on building bridges and demonstrating cooperative resilience in addressing social, economic and environmental challenges.
They reaffirmed that tree planting activities would continue beyond the Ushirika Day celebrations, with additional campaigns expected during future rainy seasons to support Kenya’s long-term environmental goals and contribute to the success of the government’s 15 billion trees agenda.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
