More than 10,000 trees have been planted at the degraded Koguta Forest in Nyakach, Kisumu County, as residents joined national celebrations marking Mazingira Day, an annual event promoting environmental conservation and climate resilience.
The exercise, held on Saturday, brought together government officials, church leaders, community members and children, who participated in efforts to restore the forest and promote sustainable environmental practices.
The event was led by the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Children’s Services, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Carren Achieng’ Agengo, who was the chief guest. She was accompanied by Kisumu County Commissioner Mohamed Ramadhan Mwabudzo and County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Water, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources Judith Oluoch.
Speaking during the event, Agengo said climate change was a growing reality whose effects were increasingly being felt by communities, particularly those dependent on agriculture and other natural resources for their livelihoods.
She urged residents to work closely with the Government in planting and nurturing more trees, saying environmental conservation was essential to mitigating climate change and restoring degraded landscapes.
She noted that the environment was central to Kenya’s social and economic development, explaining that forests, rivers, wetlands and other natural resources sustained agriculture, supported livelihoods, protected biodiversity and contributed to climate regulation.
“However, even as we look around here in Nyakach, deforestation, pollution, land degradation and the growing effects of climate change continue to threaten these resources,” she said.
The PS called for deliberate measures to restore degraded landscapes, protect water resources, improve waste management and promote the sustainable use of natural resources.
Agengo said the Government had committed to growing 15 billion trees by 2032 under the leadership of President William Ruto, describing the initiative as a major investment in ecological restoration, climate resilience, water security and sustainable development.
She emphasised that achieving the target required a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach involving national and county governments, communities, schools, the private sector, civil society organisations and development partners.
“Our success must not be measured by the number of seedlings planted during this national celebration alone. Our success will be measured by the number of trees that will survive and mature, the ecosystems that we will restore, and the environmental practices that we sustain,” she said.
The PS urged residents to select appropriate tree species suited to local conditions and ensure seedlings received adequate care until maturity. She also called on communities to protect existing forests and vegetation and make tree growing an integral part of their daily activities.
She encouraged residents to take responsibility for the trees planted during the celebrations, noting that the long-term benefits of the exercise would depend on consistent maintenance and protection against destruction.
Agengo also highlighted the connection between environmental conservation and children’s welfare, saying a clean, safe and healthy environment was essential for children’s growth and development.
She observed that droughts, floods, pollution and environmental degradation could disrupt education, undermine household incomes, compromise nutrition and displace families, potentially exposing vulnerable children to neglect, exploitation and other forms of harm.
“Protecting the environment is an investment in the well-being of children, the resilience of families and the security of our communities,” she said, adding that children and young people had an important role to play in conservation efforts.
The PS singled out Nyakach, which is experiencing prolonged drought, as an area where residents needed to prioritise tree growing and other sustainable land management practices to improve environmental conditions and strengthen livelihoods.
“ It starts with us and the people of Nyakach to ensure they plant trees so that in future we can have rainfall in Nyakach to support agriculture and livelihoods,” she said.
In response to the immediate effects of the drought, Agengo distributed 300 bags of rice and 250 bags of beans provided by the national government to assist vulnerable households struggling with food shortages.
She urged residents to combine environmental conservation with sustainable agricultural practices to help communities become more self-reliant and reduce dependence on emergency food assistance.
“We are glad that the community has received us well and they are up to the task of changing what is happening now so that in future we will not be bringing food but we will be getting food from this community,” she said.
County Commissioner Mwabudzo, meanwhile, assured residents of their security and urged them to cooperate with security agencies to maintain peace and stability as the country approaches the 2027 General Election.
“I call upon all residents of Kisumu to work together with the security team in order to ensure peace and security in the county,” he said.
Mwabudzo also raised concern over alcohol and drug abuse in the area, warning that the practices undermined productivity and affected people’s ability to work, care for their children and contribute to community development.
He urged residents to avoid substance abuse and embrace responsible behaviour that would support household welfare and the county’s broader development agenda.
The event concluded with leaders encouraging participants to register newly planted trees on the JazaMiti application and teach children the importance of caring for nature.
Kisumu County CECM for Water, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources Judith Oluoch said the county had made significant progress in increasing its tree cover, from 0.44 per cent in 2017 to more than five per cent currently.
Oluoch attributed the improvement partly to a county initiative spearheaded by Governor Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, which designates the 10th day of every month for mandatory environmental clean-ups and tree planting.
She said sustained community participation and enforcement of environmental regulations were necessary to protect the gains made and ensure the county’s natural resources remained available for future generations.
However, Oluoch warned against the destruction of the environment for short-term financial gains, citing stone quarrying around Ojolla, murram mining in Nyakach and sand harvesting near fish breeding grounds in Dunga as activities threatening biodiversity and ecological stability.
“Our resources are our wealth but also our future, the heartbeat of our county. Sand mining and stone quarrying have become a concern where they become a resource and a danger to our biodiversity. Let us protect our future,” she said.
The CECM further cautioned that bare hills and degraded landscapes could worsen the effects of heavy rainfall, increasing the risk of flash floods in low-lying areas, including Nyando and Kadibo.
She warned that excessive rainfall could also wash away fertile topsoil and carry sediment into Lake Victoria, threatening aquatic ecosystems and undermining the livelihoods of communities dependent on fishing.
Oluoch urged residents to protect vegetation, restore degraded land and embrace responsible resource use to reduce the risks associated with extreme weather events.
Mazingira Day, previously associated with Moi Day and later Utamaduni Day, was officially designated as a national environmental conservation holiday in 2024. It encourages Kenyans to participate in tree growing, clean-up exercises and other activities aimed at protecting the country’s ecosystems from the effects of climate change.
This year’s celebrations were held under the theme, “Our Environment, Our Responsibility,” highlighting the shared duty of citizens, government institutions and other stakeholders to protect the environment.
The celebrations also supported the Government’s wider tree-growing initiative, which seeks to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 to combat global warming, reduce soil erosion, restore degraded ecosystems and strengthen the country’s resilience to climate change.
According to figures cited from the Kenya Forest Service, Kenya’s forest cover stands at 8.8 per cent, while total tree cover is estimated at 12.13 per cent. The forest cover remains below the constitutional minimum target of 10 per cent, underscoring the need for continued restoration and protection of critical water catchment areas.
President Ruto launched a national tree-growing campaign in November 2022, shortly after assuming office, announcing an ambitious plan to plant more than 15 billion trees to increase national tree cover and strengthen the country’s capacity to cope with climate change.
The initiative has also created economic opportunities for people operating tree nurseries, whose work supplies seedlings for restoration programmes while providing an additional source of income.
by Mabel Keya- Shikuku / Christine Oduor Onyango
