A winding, muddy road leads to Jomvu Kuu Creek, where the salty breeze of the Indian Ocean greets visitors. This coastal area in Mombasa County, historically split between early Christian and Muslim settlements, is now united by a shared mission: mangrove restoration.
At the heart of this transformation is the Bidii Creek Conservancy, a community-based organisation that began in 2009 as a youth-driven cleanup initiative. Over the years, it has evolved into a significant force for environmental change, especially after its formal registration in 2013. Its mission received a major boost in 2021 when the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) Foundation partnered with the group to source mangrove seedlings for rehabilitating degraded land.
KPC’s initiative aligns with the national push to plant 15 billion trees by 2032, a strategy aimed at increasing Kenya’s tree cover to at least 10 percent. By May 2024, KPC had planted over 613,000 seedlings nationwide, with an impressive 93% survival rate. The centerpiece of these efforts is the restoration of 100 hectares of mangrove forest along Tudor Creek, where KPC has already reforested 50 hectares with 550,000 mangrove trees, in collaboration with Bidii Creek Conservancy and local Community Forest Associations under the Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2016.
Beyond ecological benefits, the initiative is revitalising livelihoods. Community members now earn income through seedling propagation, planting, and monitoring. Women and youth are especially involved, creating green jobs and fostering environmental stewardship.
KPC Foundation, which commits at least 1% of the company’s profit-before-tax (up to Sh150 million annually), has made this mangrove initiative a flagship project under its environmental portfolio. According to Managing Director Joe Sang, the goal is to plant over five million trees in ten years, cementing KPC’s role in Kenya’s Green Agenda.
From degraded land to thriving ecosystems, the Jomvu mangrove restoration is more than a reforestation project — it’s a story of resilience, unity, and livelihoods growing where mangroves take root.
