Cash in on trees: Kenyans urged to tap forestry opportunities

Kenyan forest conservators plant trees at the NEP Girls' High School during the celebrations of International Forest Day. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Students planting trees./STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Garissa county forests conservator Christopher Kapula speaking to the press on the sidelines of the event. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Kenya forest conservators planting trees at the NEP Girls’ high school during the celebrations of the International Forests Day. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Garissa County police commander Samson Chelugo[L]plants a tree during the celebrations of the International Forests Day. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Garissa Central Assistant County Commissioner Thumatia Muriuki speaking to the press on the sidelines of the event. /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Kenyans have been urged to take advantage of the economic opportunities in the forestry sector to boost their income, generate employment for others, and improve their livelihoods.

Speaking during the celebrations of International Forests Day at NEP Girls’ High School in Garissa, County Forests Conservator Christopher Kapula said that, apart from generating income from seedlings, Kenyans could also benefit from other nature-related activities like beekeeping in forests.

With the presidential directive to plant 15 billion trees by 2030 and increase the country’s forest cover, Kapula urged young people to take advantage of the programme and start tree nurseries, grow and sell seedlings, thus generating income.

“Our young people can generate income and create employment opportunities by starting tree nurseries. These nurseries offer income through the selling of seedlings, especially at a time when we are talking about planting 15 billion trees,” Kapula said.

“Kenyans can also benefit from planting many trees by investing in beekeeping in those small forests. This is one of the many nature-based income opportunities that come with planting trees. People will be able to harvest and sell pure honey and generate income,” he added.

Garissa Central Assistant County Commissioner Thumatia Muriuki, however, cautioned Kenyans against charcoal burning as an economic activity, noting that it would be catastrophic in the long run.

Muriuki said that with increased forest cover, the government will be able to create more employment opportunities, especially for forest rangers and researchers.

At the same time, the ACC called for the planting of more commercial trees, which are legally harvested for timber, thus creating income and employment opportunities for thousands of Kenyans.

“It is important that as we talk about forests and the economy, we do not mix up and confuse ourselves by thinking that negative practices like charcoal burning are a plus to the economy. In the long run, this will hurt the forests, so we should only engage in positive economic practices involving trees, such as starting nurseries and selling seedlings,” Muriuki said.

Abdikadir Adan, a young environmentalist championing 15 million trees in Garissa, called on the government to empower youth across the country to plant tree seedlings and sell them back to the government.

“The government has employed very many Kenya Forest Service officers, forest researchers, and many others who work to protect the forests,” Abdikadir said.

“We also have the harvesting of mature trees that have been planted for commercial purposes as a source of timber, guided by logging laws,” he added.

“Right now, we have a presidential directive on 15 billion trees. These tree seedlings have been produced, and there are so many opportunities in that. A lot of young people can be supported to grow tree seedlings and sell them to the government at an affordable cost,” Adan said.