President Ruto Launches Nationwide Drive to Plant 2 Billion Tree Seedlings Each Year
President William Ruto has unveiled an ambitious nationwide campaign to plant two billion tree seedlings annually, in a bid to combat deforestation and bolster Kenya’s environmental and food security goals.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, during Mazingira Day celebrations, President Ruto emphasized that the initiative would address the country’s persistent shortage of tree seedlings while advancing Kenya’s broader reforestation and climate resilience agenda.
The program will engage 15,000 National Youth Service (NYS) personnel working in collaboration with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to revive 300 tree nurseries across the country. Additionally, 17 mega nurseries will be established in diverse ecological zones to ensure a steady supply of seedlings for fruit, timber, shade, and commercial use.
“Let us grow trees that way. We can be sure that what we are planting all the way will grow into trees for fruits, for shade, for timber, and for all the other commercial uses that we want to use for these trees,” President Ruto stated.
The initiative forms a central part of the government’s national environmental conservation strategy, linking tree planting to food security and economic growth. Ruto noted that Kenya has long relied on food imports because domestic production has not kept up with demand.
“We have made fertiliser available, improved the quality of seeds, removed brokers and cartels, and found new markets for our agricultural produce,” Ruto said, adding that the reforestation program complements these ongoing agricultural reforms.
Beyond restoring forests, the campaign is expected to strengthen irrigation and water conservation. The President explained that more tree cover would restore water catchment areas, enhance rainfall patterns, and facilitate water harvesting for irrigation, which in turn will increase agricultural output.
“This is not an isolated exercise. It is an exercise that is combined with the whole transformation of not just the environment but food security, exports for our products, creating jobs in our value addition programs and agro-processing programs,” Ruto remarked.
The project is a joint initiative between the KFS and NYS, ensuring that every forest station participates in producing and distributing seedlings nationwide. It also seeks to integrate environmental sustainability with economic empowerment and community development.
First Lady Rachel Ruto joined the President and a group of pupils in tree planting at State House, symbolizing the importance of youth participation in conservation.
By merging environmental conservation with economic transformation, the government hopes the initiative will promote wealth creation, sustainable livelihoods, and long-term ecological stability for future generations.
In other news:EXPLAINER: How Kenya Power Token Purchase Reversal Works
President Ruto Launches Nationwide Drive to Plant 2 Billion Tree Seedlings Each Year