KFS gets 3 million tree seedlings boost for Jaza Miti drive

Kenya’s ambitious plan to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 under the Jaza Miti Initiative has received a major boost after the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) received more than three million tree seedlings from global climate and agricultural technology company Earthbanc.

The seedlings, comprising indigenous and climate-resilient species, will support the government’s target of restoring 5.1 million hectares of degraded land and increasing the country’s tree cover to 30 per cent.

The seedlings, which include indigenous and climate-resilient species, have already been distributed across several counties, among them Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Trans Nzoia, Kericho, Baringo, Kiambu and Makueni.

The KFS will coordinate planting efforts in collaboration with county governments, community groups and other stakeholders, with a focus on long-term ecosystem restoration.

Speaking during the handover ceremony at KFS headquarters in Karura Forest last week, Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko said the partnership underscored the critical role of the private sector in supporting Kenya’s climate agenda.

“The National Tree Growing and Restoration Campaign is a Presidential directive, and the Kenya Forest Service is committed to its full implementation. Our mandate is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stop and reverse deforestation, and restore Kenya’s degraded landscapes to achieve 30 per cent tree cover by 2032,” said Lemarkoko.

Since launching operations in Kenya in 2024 through its local subsidiary, Earthtree Company Limited, Earthbanc has supported the production of about six million seedlings, trained hundreds of farmers in agroforestry and sustainable land management, and donated beehives to promote pollination and diversify rural incomes.

Of the six million seedlings produced so far, more than half have been donated to KFS.

Earthbanc Co-Chief Executive Officer, Rishabh Khanna, said the initiative reflects the company’s long-term commitment to ecosystem restoration and community-based climate action.

"Kenya's climate restoration ambition is one of Africa's boldest, and we are honoured to play our part. We have raised six million seedlings, and each one represents a step towards restored land, a cleaner environment, and a more secure livelihood for the farming communities who tend them,” said Khanna.