Kenya makes 13 November nationwide tree planting day a public holiday

On November 13, 2023, Kenya witnessed a unique and unexpected event—the National Tree Planting Day. The Kenyan government, in a surprising move, declared this day a public holiday, urging citizens to participate in a nationwide tree planting initiative. The announcement came from the Interior Minister, Kithure Kindiki, who used official social media channels to communicate the decision.

In the official notice, Minister Kindiki stated, “The government has declared a special holiday on Monday, November 13, 2023, during which the public across the country shall be expected to plant trees as a patriotic contribution to the national efforts to save our country from the devastating effects of climate change.”

Kenya, with a forest cover of approximately 7%, has been striving to combat climate change. As part of an ambitious plan to increase the forest cover to more than 10%, the government allocated over $80 million (£65 million) in the current financial year. The initiative aims to plant a staggering 15 billion trees by the year 2032.

The significance of tree planting in mitigating climate change cannot be overstated. Trees act as carbon sinks, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global heating. Conversely, deforestation exacerbates climate change by disrupting plant photosynthesis, hindering the carbon absorption capacity of trees. Moreover, the associated practice of burning releases substantial amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The urgency of such environmental measures is underscored by the worsening droughts in the Horn of Africa, including Kenya, where five consecutive seasons have witnessed rainfall failure. In response to the government's call for action, the Kenyan Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry committed to providing tree seedlings, emphasizing this initiative as an unprecedented demonstration of the government's commitment to climate action obligations.

President William Ruto on Monday presided over the inaugural of the  National Tree Planting Day.

Joined by First Lady Rachel Ruto, the President presided over the planting of over 150,000 trees at Kiu Wetland in Makindu, Makueni County.

Kenya Defence Forces had taken over the site where the Head of State will plant a seedling to mark the start of a journey towards growing 15 billion trees by 2032.

Kenya Forest Service head Alex Lemarkoko said that 150,000 seedlings will be planted at Kiu Wetland and 100 million across the country.

The Kenya Kwanza Cabinet Secretaries all led the tree planting exercise across the other 46 counties.

Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr said his government targets to grow 344 million trees by 2032, with 34 million grown each year.