WWF-Kenya, Forestry Department forge partnership to Drive 15 billion trees initiative

The World Wide Fund for Nature-Kenya (WWF-Kenya) and the State Department for Forestry have signed a five-year strategic agreement to bolster Kenya's 15 Billion Trees Initiative. The collaboration will leverage the government's coordination capabilities and WWF-Kenya's technical know-how, resources, and community-based conservation methods to bolster landscape restoration, tree planting, and livelihood schemes.

Principal Secretary for Forestry Gitonga Mugambi emphasized the need for collaborative efforts between government, private sector, communities, and other non-state stakeholders to achieve Kenya's goal of planting 15 billion trees by 2032. The initiative is rooted in the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (2023–2032), which outlines a broader framework for restoring various ecosystems across the country.

The partnership will see WWF-Kenya offering technical, advocacy, and communication support to the 15 Billion Trees Secretariat, as well as collaborating with public and private entities to replicate successful restoration models in other high-priority regions. One such model is the Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme, which has restored over 2,700 hectares of forestland in the Northern Mau ecosystem since 2020, while also supporting clean water access for 15,000 farmers and generating 2,000 direct jobs.

WWF-Kenya CEO Jackson Kiplagat highlighted the significance of linking environmental restoration to local livelihoods through this model. The organization's methodology centers on four key areas: household income, clean energy, access to clean water, and healthy landscapes. WWF-Kenya will continue its #KeepKenyaBreathing platform, launched in 2018, which has successfully mapped over 3.06 million trees grown by citizens and corporations across 25 counties.

The organization aims to mobilize public and private resources to plant one billion trees in priority landscapes. As Kenya shifts its focus towards long-term landscape management, community involvement, and measurable tree survival, both organizations are urging partners to move beyond isolated tree-planting initiatives and support restoration efforts for the long haul.