Kenyans Granted Tree-Planting Vacation to Plant 100 Million Seedlings

The government of Kenya has declared a special holiday for citizens to plant 100 million trees, as part of its larger goal to plant 15 billion trees over the next decade. The holiday aims to involve every Kenyan in the initiative, with each person encouraged to plant at least two seedlings. Public nurseries have made around 150 million seedlings available for free at forest agency centers which can be planted in designated public areas. However, the government has also urged citizens to buy and plant seedlings on their personal land. President William Ruto is leading the tree-planting effort in Makueni, with other cabinet ministers being sent to different regions in collaboration with county governors. The process will be monitored through an internet app called Jaza Miti, where individuals and organizations can record their planting activities, including the species, quantity, and date of planting. The app will also assist in selecting the appropriate seedlings based on the location. The response to the initiative has been overwhelmingly positive, with two million registrations on the app already, according to Environment Minister Soipan Tuya. However, due to ongoing floods in the northeastern region, the tree-planting will not take place there. While Kenyans have generally welcomed the initiative, they have also highlighted some challenges. Environmentalist Teresa Muthoni praised the idea but pointed out that the exercise was not well-organized to ensure widespread participation, as many people are unable to take time off work to plant trees. She also emphasized the importance of planting the right species in the correct locations. The government has faced criticism for promoting tree planting while failing to address illegal logging in public forests, but Minister Tuya defended the decision, clarifying that the logging ban only affected forests designated for commercial purposes, which account for about 5% of the total forested area.