Forestry Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi on Tuesday appeared before the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to account for the State Department for Forestry’s financial performance and the implementation of key programmes during the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years.
The session, chaired by Butere MP Tindi Mwale, was part of Parliament’s oversight role in scrutinising how public funds have been spent and whether government programmes are delivering value to Kenyans.
During his presentation, Mugambi updated lawmakers on the department’s budget utilisation, achievements, challenges and ongoing efforts to strengthen financial accountability while improving service delivery across the forestry sector.
A key focus of his presentation was the implementation of the Presidential 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme, one of the government’s flagship environmental initiatives aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems and increasing Kenya’s tree cover to 30 per cent by 2032.
According to the PS, the programme continues to gather momentum through partnerships involving both national and county governments, local communities, development partners and private sector players.
He told the committee that the collaborative approach has been critical in supporting landscape restoration while advancing the country’s efforts to tackle climate change and protect forest resources.
Mugambi also said the State Department is strengthening coordination among institutions involved in forest conservation to speed up the implementation of restoration projects and promote sustainable forest management across the country.
The Public Accounts Committee is currently reviewing expenditure by various government ministries, departments and agencies as part of its constitutional mandate to ensure public resources are used efficiently and in line with approved budgets.
The Forestry PS was accompanied by senior officials from the State Department, including Secretary for Forest Development George Tarus and Secretary Administration Patrick Meso.