President William Ruto has announced an ambitious plan to produce 2 billion tree seedlings annually as part of his administration’s campaign to grow 15 billion trees by the year 2032. Speaking at State House, Nairobi, during the Mazingira Day celebrations, Ruto revealed that 17 mega nurseries will be established across the country to boost seedling production.
The President noted that the initiative will be implemented through a partnership between the National Youth Service (NYS) and the Kenya Forest Service (KFS). Over 15,000 NYS personnel will be deployed to assist in managing 300 existing nurseries, significantly expanding the country’s tree production capacity.
Ruto underscored that climate change remains one of the most pressing global challenges, calling for bold and practical interventions such as forest restoration and large-scale tree planting. “The seedlings will include fruit trees to strengthen not only our food security but also create opportunities for export, agro-processing, and job creation,” he stated on X (formerly Twitter).
The President further highlighted the connection between forest conservation and sustainable agriculture, emphasizing that protecting water catchment areas is crucial for irrigation and food production.
As part of the Mazingira Day activities, Ruto directed all 35,000 primary schools in Kenya to plant at least 2,000 fruit seedlings each, targeting a total of over 100 million trees. He added that government officials would return to their former primary schools to lead by example in the national tree-planting effort.
This large-scale initiative is central to Kenya’s strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change, restore degraded ecosystems, and secure a greener and more sustainable future for the nation.
