Kiambu County has stepped up preparations for Mazingira Day 2026, with officials seeking to position the county among the top performers in the national tree-growing challenge.
County Commissioner George Matundura on Tuesday convened a high-level meeting of the Kiambu County Mazingira Week Committee to assess preparations and identify areas requiring urgent action ahead of the national celebrations scheduled for October 5 to 10, 2026.
The meeting, held at the County Commissioner’s Boardroom, reviewed the readiness of tree-planting sites, availability of seedlings, logistics, and public mobilisation plans.
Matundura challenged government agencies, private sector players, civil society organisations and communities to work together to ensure Kiambu makes a strong contribution to the national tree-growing campaign.
“I want Kiambu to be among the top counties, making it to the tree challenge. We must mobilize every partner, institution, and community so that our contribution is visible and impactful on the national stage,” Matundura said.
Mazingira Day, which is a public holiday dedicated to environmental conservation, will culminate on October 10 in Trans Nzoia County with a synchronised one-hour tree-planting exercise targeting six million trees.
President William Ruto is expected to lead the national event, while Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and Governors will oversee activities in different counties.
In Kiambu, the Kenya Forest Service has identified several plantation and woodlot sites covering 176.8 hectares. The county plans to plant 279,870 seedlings, including Cupressus lusitanica, Eucalyptus, Pinus patula, and Grevillea robusta.
Among the identified sites are Kereita 6D, covering 12.1 hectares; Uplands Lari 1C, covering 16.1 hectares; and Thogoto’s Dagoretti 8D and 7B, which together cover 34 hectares.
Other sites include several compartments in Ragia Forest, Kinale 4Y, Kamae 5C and 6E, as well as community woodlots at Riu Nderi Wetland, Rwamburi Borehole, Tiekunu Primary School, Kinale Primary School and Magina Primary School.
County Forest Conservator Andrew M. Matindi briefed the committee on the identified sites and the preparations already under way.
“Sites within the forest are under the PELIS/Shamba system, and we have already engaged the community to start the staking exercise,” Matindi said.
He added that the Kenya Forest Service has 1,987,902 exotic and indigenous seedlings available in nine tree nurseries across the county.
However, Matindi said additional support would be required to ensure the exercise runs smoothly. He identified agroforestry and fruit seedlings, transport to planting sites, labour for site preparation, community mobilisation, publicity materials, media coverage, snacks, and cleaning materials as some of the areas where partners could assist.
Nationally, Mazingira Week will feature daily activities led by different ministries and government agencies.
The week will begin on Monday, October 5, with the flag-off and clean-up activities in Trans Nzoia. Tuesday will focus on tree growing in schools under the Ministry of Education, while Wednesday will feature agroforestry and mine-site restoration activities.
Thursday will focus on highway greening, followed by National Clean-Up Day on Friday, when clean-up activities will be undertaken across all 47 counties.
Saturday will feature the national Mazingira Day celebrations, the Tree Growing Challenge, and aerial seeding of 35,501 hectares of degraded landscapes.
The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry is coordinating the campaign under a whole-of-government approach.
In Kiambu, the local committee will align county activities with the national calendar, including tree planting, clean-up exercises, seedling distribution, and public awareness campaigns.
Officials said timely transportation of seedlings, adequate labour and strong community participation would be critical to the success of the programme. The County Commissioner’s office is expected to mobilise additional partners from government agencies, the private sector, and civil society to address any remaining gaps before the activities begin.
Mazingira Day is part of Kenya’s 15 billion Tree Growing Programme, which runs from 2022 to 2032. Officials also emphasised the importance of caring for and monitoring planted trees to improve their survival rates, including through digital platforms such as the JazaMiti app.
The meeting ended with commitments to finalise logistical arrangements and intensify public mobilisation ahead of Mazingira Week.
By Kipkorir Felix and Grace Naishoo
