Government Rallies Kenyans to Plant Fruit Trees in Schools During Mazingira Day 2025.

Government Rallies Kenyans to Plant Fruit Trees in Schools During Mazingira Day 2025

Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Dr. Deborah Barasa, addresses the media during a breakfast briefing at Sarova Stanley, Nairobi, to launch Mazingira Day 2025.

Nairobi - October 8, 2025.

The government has urged Kenyans to turn out in large numbers on October 10 for a nationwide tree-planting drive marking Mazingira Day 2025, with this year’s campaign spotlighting the planting of fruit trees in primary schools to promote environmental conservation and food security.

Speaking during the event in Nairobi, Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Dr. Deborah Barasa officially launched the Mazingira Day 2025 celebrations under the theme “Citizen-Centric Tree Growing and Environmental Stewardship.”

She said this year’s campaign, guided by the slogan “To Rudi Primo, Tuka Donate Fruit Trees na Tuka Clean Environment,” urges Kenyans to return to their former primary schools to plant fruit trees and participate in clean-up exercises.

“Our schools are the foundation of our nation, the place where values are first planted,” said Barassa. “By returning there, we are not only planting trees but also planting a sense of environmental responsibility in the next generation.”

She announced that each Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary and CEO of a state corporation will lead tree-planting activities in their former or assigned primary schools, alongside students, teachers, parents and local communities. The President, Dr. William Ruto, will preside over the national celebration.

Dr. Barasa said the decision to prioritize fruit trees this year was intentional, as they offer multiple benefits from nutrition and income generation to environmental protection.

“Fruit trees are life-giving. They feed, they share and they sustain,” she said. “They provide nourishment for our children, income for families and shade that cools our classrooms.”

To support the campaign, the National Youth Service (NYS) will distribute fruit tree seedlings across the country at a subsidized price of KSh 150 per seedling. Ministries, schools and individuals will be able to purchase seedlings from designated NYS distribution centres, which will be announced before the event.

Dr. Barasa also noted that the tree-planting campaign complements the government’s ongoing environmental reforms, including the Forest Conservation and Management Bill 2025, new regulations promoting sustainable forest product trade and the Agroforestry and Bamboo Development Strategy that seeks to link tree-growing with livelihoods.

Additionally, Kenya has operationalised a National REDD Registry to track progress in reducing carbon emissions and generating climate benefits, reinforcing the country’s leadership in forest-based climate solutions.

The CS emphasized that Mazingira Day should not be viewed as a one-day event but as a continuous national movement toward a cleaner, greener and more resilient Kenya.

“Mazingira Day is not just about one fruit tree. It’s about feeding hundreds of children, improving livelihoods and strengthening food security,” she said. “By planting today, we secure tomorrow.”

The government has dedicated the entire month of October to the “Donate a Fruit Tree to Your Primary School” initiative, encouraging citizens to take personal responsibility for greening their communities.

“No child should sleep hungry,” Barassa concluded. “Every fruit tree planted in a school is a contribution to food security, unity and peace in our country. Let us go back to our roots, plant fruit trees, clean our schools and grow the future we want for Kenya.”

Speaking during the same event, Gitonga Mugambi, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, said the exercise will mark the start of a countrywide campaign to promote fruit tree planting and environmental restoration during the ongoing rainy season.

“On October 10th, we are all going back to our primary schools to plant fruit trees, and we are doing it in a big way,” said Mugambi. “Each school will target a minimum of 2,000 trees. Where the space is limited, students will also be encouraged to plant trees at home.”

The exercise, which will be carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, aims to integrate environmental conservation into the country’s learning institutions while instilling a culture of responsibility among young learners.

According to the PS, technical officers from Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and Carefree, alongside National Tree Seed Centres (NASALEES) and the private sector, will provide guidance and seedlings for the exercise. Mugambi urged Kenyans to support local seedling producers by purchasing from them, noting that doing so will help create green jobs and boost the economy.

He further revealed that the tree-planting initiative will run throughout the rainy season, with the goal of significantly accelerating progress toward the government’s 15 billion tree-growing agenda by 2032.

“So far, we have already planted over one billion trees in just two years,” said Mugambi. “That’s a major milestone compared to the 18 million trees planted in the previous five-year term. We are now moving faster and more efficiently toward our 15 billion target.”