President William Ruto has expressed confidence that Kenya will hit its target of growing one billion trees this year, as the government intensifies efforts to restore forests and protect the country’s shrinking water towers.
Speaking during the 37th Rhino Charge event in Wamba, Samburu County, the President said environmental conservation has become a critical part of Kenya’s economic survival, noting that forests support key sectors including agriculture, energy production, manufacturing and water supply.
Ruto revealed that the government is planning a major nationwide tree-growing exercise later this year, likely between September and October, as part of efforts to accelerate the ambitious campaign.
He said the exercise will involve citizens, institutions and conservation stakeholders across the country.
The President’s remarks come as Kenya races to achieve its broader target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032 under the national climate action programme launched in 2022.
The programme aims to increase forest cover from the current levels to about 30 per cent in the coming years.
According to Ruto, Kenya has already crossed the one billion tree mark, with recent government updates indicating that more than 1.06 billion trees have so far been planted under the campaign.
At the same time, the President used the Rhino Charge event to rally support for conservation efforts, praising organisers for raising billions of shillings towards the protection of forests and water catchment areas.
Rhino Charge, which has been running since 1989, has so far raised more than Sh2.8 billion for conservation projects across the country, including the protection of the Aberdares, Mount Kenya, Mau Forest and Kakamega Forest ecosystems.
Ruto also launched the Rhino Arc Endowment Fund, a long-term financing initiative expected to support conservation programmes and maintenance of ecosystem protection projects in future generations.
However, even as the government celebrates the progress, questions continue to emerge over the actual survival rates of planted trees. Recent reports have shown concerns among environmental experts over whether the country is planting enough trees, and more importantly, whether the seedlings are surviving long enough to help achieve the 15-billion-tree target.
The latest push now signals that the government is keen to turn the tree-planting programme into one of the defining projects of Ruto’s administration, with another nationwide mobilisation campaign expected in the coming months.
