Kamiti inmates challenged to take up tree growing as a path to life after prison

 

The initiative seeks to give inmates hands-on experience in tree growing and sustainable agriculture while supporting efforts to conserve the environment. [Gitau Wanyoike, Standard]

Inmates at Kamiti Medium Security Prison are being encouraged to take up tree growing and nursery management as practical skills they can use to earn a living after release, under an initiative that links environmental conservation with rehabilitation.

The initiative, being implemented through a partnership between the Kenya Prisons Service and Equity Bank Kenya, seeks to give inmates hands-on experience in tree growing and sustainable agriculture while supporting efforts to conserve the environment.

Speaking during the commemoration of Mazingira Day and National Tree Growing Day at Kamiti Medium Security Prison on Saturday, Commissioner General of Prisons Patrick Aranduh said the skills would help inmates become self-reliant and improve their chances of reintegrating into society after serving their sentences.

Aranduh said the Prisons Service, which manages extensive land, farms and institutional facilities across the country, had a significant role to play in supporting Kenya’s target of growing 15 billion trees by 2032.

The initiative seeks to give inmates hands-on experience in tree growing and sustainable agriculture while supporting efforts to conserve the environment. [Gitau Wanyoike, Standard]

“As a Service with extensive land, farms and institutional facilities across the country, we have an important role to play in advancing Kenya’s National Tree-growing Agenda and supporting the goal of growing 15 billion trees by 2032,” he said.

He said the partnership with Equity Group Foundation and Equity Bank Kenya would also promote sustainable agriculture and strengthen rehabilitation programmes by equipping inmates with practical skills in tree growing and nursery management.

Aranduh called on prison officers across the country to make environmental conservation a continuous institutional responsibility rather than an activity limited to designated national days.

He urged officers in charge of prison facilities to set clear tree-growing targets, strengthen nurseries and ensure seedlings planted were nurtured to maturity.

“Our success will not be measured merely by the number of trees planted, but by the number that survive, thrive and deliver lasting benefits,” he said.

The prisons chief also called for tree-growing activities to be accompanied by proper drainage, soil conservation and responsible land management, warning that heavy rainfall could trigger flooding and soil erosion.

The initiative seeks to give inmates hands-on experience in tree growing and sustainable agriculture while supporting efforts to conserve the environment. [Gitau Wanyoike, Standard]

He urged prison institutions to adopt a comprehensive approach to environmental conservation, particularly as they prepare for climate-related challenges.

Meanwhile, in Ruiru Constituency, MP Simon King’ara joined students and management at Ruiru Girls High School in Biashara Ward, as well as residents of Membley Estate in Gitothua Ward, to mark Mazingira Day through tree planting.

King’ara said protecting the environment required collective action by residents, schools and other institutions.

“Planting trees is an important step towards protecting our environment, promoting sustainability and ensuring a greener future for generations to come. A greener Ruiru starts with us,” King’ara said.

The initiative seeks to give inmates hands-on experience in tree growing and sustainable agriculture while supporting efforts to conserve the environment. [Gitau Wanyoike, Standard]

Nationally, President William Ruto led Mazingira Day celebrations in Endebess, Trans Nzoia County, where he distributed cocoa seedlings to farmers as part of efforts to promote tree growing and create income-generating opportunities.

Ruto said the country targeted planting 5.3 million trees during the celebrations, urging Kenyans to sustain the exercise as the government pursues its goal of growing 15 billion trees by 2032 to combat climate change and restore degraded landscapes.

The President also unveiled aerial seeding technology to complement conventional tree planting and accelerate forest restoration.

He further launched the Mt Elgon Integrated Conservation and Livelihood Improvement Programme Strategic Plan 2026–2036, which seeks to restore degraded forests, protect water resources and improve the livelihoods of communities living around Mt Elgon.