The Kenyan government has declared Monday, November 13 a public holiday to mark the first-ever National Tree Growing Day, according to a gazette notice issued Monday.
The notice stated that the holiday is “part of Kenya’s Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Programme – Towards the Growing of Fifteen (15) billion trees.”
“There will be a designated National venue for the tree planting presided over by His Excellency (Dr.) William Samoei Ruto, PhD., C.G.H., the President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, and forty-seven (47) County venues, presided over by Cabinet Secretaries and Governors, where all Kenyan citizens and the general public shall be expected to participate,” the notice read.
Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration Kithure Kindiki said in the notice that the holiday is intended for “the public shall be engaged in tree growing countrywide.”
“The exercise is part of Kenya’s Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Programme – Towards the Growing of Fifteen (15) billion trees,” Kindiki said.
In the recent past, Kenya has experienced the worst drought in the last four decades. Over that period, 2.5 million livestock were lost, 4 million people adversely impacted, nature and biodiversity loss witnessed to a higher magnitude and the socio-economic loss between 3-5% of GDP recorded.
In response to this, President William Ruto launched a nation-wide tree planting campaign on December 21, 2022 to raise Kenyas tree cover to 30% by 2032.
The campaign is targeting to plant 15 billion trees by 2032. The initiative requests each individual living in Kenya to plant 30 trees a year amounting to 300 trees per person in 10 years.
The programme is being undertaken in all 47 counties nationwide with all stakeholders including community groups, NGOs, Schools, Churches, farmers and others being called upon to take active participation by raising tree nurseries and planting trees in their compounds and forests.
