Universities and other institutions of higher learning have been challenged to establish tree-growing and aftercare programmes as part of efforts to restore degraded landscapes and promote environmental conservation across Kenya.
Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala said universities should take a leading role in environmental protection by instilling a culture of tree planting and conservation among students, staff and communities living around the institutions.
Inyangala said tree growing should not be treated as a one-day activity but as a continuous responsibility requiring commitment, proper maintenance and collective action.
Speaking during a tree-planting exercise at Kakamega Forest in Senyende, Shinyalu Constituency, the PS called on universities to ensure that the trees planted survive and contribute to restoring the country's forest cover.
“I therefore challenge our universities, their host communities and all stakeholders to take ownership of the trees we are planting here today,” she said.
“Let every university establish a tree-growing and aftercare programme across the country. Let every student understand the importance of protecting our environment, and let every community, beginning with this one in Shinyalu, see itself as a custodian of its natural resources,”
Inyangala said the benefits of tree-planting initiatives should extend beyond university campuses to farms, water catchment areas and the livelihoods of communities surrounding the institutions.
She said environmental conservation was the responsibility of every Kenyan and required collaboration between government agencies, learning institutions, local communities and other stakeholders.
The PS linked the initiative to the government's ambitious campaign to grow 15 billion trees, saying the national target would require sustained efforts to restore degraded landscapes and increase Kenya's tree cover.
The campaign seeks to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes and raise the country's tree cover to 30 per cent by 2030.
Inyangala said achieving the target would require Kenyans to embrace environmental conservation as a shared responsibility rather than leaving the task to government agencies alone.
She cited the legacy of the late environmentalist Professor Wangari Maathai, whose work through the Green Belt Movement demonstrated how tree planting could contribute to environmental restoration, community empowerment and sustainable development.
“Professor Wangari Maathai taught us that environmental conservation begins with individual responsibility and collective action,” she said.
Her remarks came as attention focused on the protection of Kakamega Forest, one of the country's important natural resources and a key environmental asset for communities in the Western region.
The forest provides habitat for diverse plant and animal species and plays an important role in maintaining the area's ecological balance.
Inyangala said involving students and surrounding communities in tree-growing programmes would help nurture a generation that understands the importance of protecting natural resources.
She urged institutions to put in place practical measures to monitor planted trees, replace those that fail to survive and ensure that environmental initiatives deliver lasting results.
Kakamega County Executive Committee Member for Environment, Water and Natural Resources Penninah Mukabane, who attended the event on behalf of Governor Fernandes Barasa, called on the national government to prioritise development projects in Shinyalu in recognition of residents' efforts to protect the forest.
Mukabane praised residents for their role in conserving the forest, saying their contribution should be acknowledged through development interventions that improve local livelihoods.
“I want to recognise the people of Shinyalu for protecting the forest. There is no other county that has conserved its forest as Kakamega County has, and the people of Shinyalu are number one in protecting it,” she said.
She appealed to national government officials to ensure that Shinyalu receives development attention whenever projects are being planned.
“When we talk about development, kindly prioritise Shinyalu Sub-County,” Mukabane said.
Her appeal highlighted the need to balance conservation efforts with the development needs of communities living alongside protected natural resources.
The event brought together environmental stakeholders and community representatives to promote tree growing and raise awareness about the importance of protecting the environment.
The organisers urged residents to take responsibility for the trees planted and ensure they are nurtured to maturity, noting that successful environmental restoration depends not only on planting seedlings but also on their long-term
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