Bamboo offers economic and environmental opportunities, says CS Barasa

Environment CS Deborah Barasa after opening a multi-agency technical workshop on the rising water levels of Lakes Baringo and Bogoria at Lake Bogoria Spa and Resort in Baringo County. ‎ [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Bamboo production is an emerging sector that could contribute meaningfully to the country's environment, economy, and the livelihoods of our people, Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Dr Deborah Barasa said.

Speaking at Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) during World Bamboo Day and National Expo under the theme, “Sustainable Bamboo for Climate Action, Economic Growth and Community Empowerment”, the CS said there was a need to 'unlock the full potential of bamboo in Kenya.'

The event was attended by representatives of the private sector, government, members of the bamboo growing and business community and others.

"Kenya has a strong foundation upon which to build a competitive bamboo sector. Our country has approximately 130,000 hectares of natural bamboo forests, predominantly comprising indigenous highland bamboo, in addition to bamboo cultivated on private land," CS Barasa said.

The minister said the Government had already put in place an enabling policy framework, including the National Bamboo Policy 2022 and the National Bamboo Development Strategy and Action Plan 2025–2035.

Under the National Bamboo Development Strategy and Action Plan, the Government has set an ambitious target of establishing an additional 150,000 hectares of bamboo, she added.

She said it was not simply about increasing the area under bamboo, but also about building a functional sector around that resource, one that creates markets for farmers, raw materials for industry, opportunities for entrepreneurs and jobs for the country's youth.

"The Government recognises bamboo as part of the broader solution to some of the challenges facing our country. Bamboo can support the restoration of degraded landscapes, protection of water catchments and improvement of environmental resilience. At the same time, it offers opportunities for value addition in areas such as construction, furniture, energy, textiles, crafts and other products," Barasa added.

The CS stated that the combination of environmental value and economic opportunity is what made bamboo production particularly important to Kenya's development agenda.

"Our task now is to ensure that these opportunities translate into tangible benefits for our people. For many years, the discussion around bamboo has largely centred on its potential. We now need to move from potential to production, from production to processing, and from processing to markets."

But she pointed out that the Government alone cannot deliver the desired transformation, saying that farmers and communities must be supported to access quality planting materials, appropriate technologies and markets, in addition to bringing in universities and other entities to also participate.

"The private sector must take the lead in investment, processing, manufacturing and commercialisation. Our universities, research institutions and TVETs must continue developing technologies, skills and innovations that respond to the needs of the industry," she said.

Over the past three days expo, bamboo products, technologies and innovations were showcased, with the creativity of entrepreneurs and the growing interest from investors, researchers, farmers and young people, adding to the extravagance at the bamboo event.

The event provided opportunities for stakeholders to engage on policy, investment, technology transfer, enterprise development and market opportunities.

The CS said stakeholders must appreciate the value of the plant.

"The real opportunity lies in developing products that can compete in domestic, regional and international markets. To our farmers and communities, I encourage you to view bamboo not only as an environmental resource, but also as an enterprise opportunity," she said.

She said with appropriate management, market linkages and value addition, bamboo can contribute to household incomes and create opportunities for community-based enterprises.

"The Government will continue to promote greater participation of youth, women and local communities in the bamboo value chain so that the benefits of this emerging industry are broadly shared."

She reached out to the private sector and investors, saying Kenya was open for investment in bamboo.

"There are opportunities across the value chain—from nurseries and plantation establishment to processing, manufacturing, construction, furniture, energy and other innovative products.

I encourage investors to look beyond the raw material and consider the much greater opportunities that can be created through technology, value addition and manufacturing."

Barasa rooted for partnerships with development partners, researchers and institutions.