NAIROBI, Kenya — As Kenyans prepare to mark Mazingira Day, President William Ruto is set to lead a nationwide push for environmental renewal anchored in a symbolic return to one’s roots.
Under the direction of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Dr Deborah Barasa, the government is urging citizens to revisit their former primary schools, plant fruit trees, and cultivate community care for the environment.
In a circular seen by the media, CS Barasa called on all Kenyans to “go back to their former primary school to donate and plant a fruit tree, clean and green the school environment.”
She said this year’s campaign, themed “Citizen-Centric Tree Growing and Environmental Stewardship,” is more than symbolism. It’s a call to embed environmental responsibility at the grassroots.
President Ruto, in turn, is expected to take the lead by planting at his designated former school, joining the Cabinet, Principal Secretaries, and public officials in a synchronized national launch.
The initiative complements his administration’s broader 15-billion tree programme, framed as a core pillar of Kenya’s climate restoration agenda.
To ensure substantial impact, the Ministry of Education has directed that each public and private primary school plant at least 2,000 fruit trees on Mazingira Day.
The choice of fruit trees is strategic: beyond carbon capture, these species can supply nutrition, shade, and future income for school communities. Barasa pointed out that they “provide nourishment for children, income for families, and shade that cools classrooms,” a triple benefit she said underlines why they were selected.
Barasa further disclosed that she will be at Kabuyefwe Primary School in Trans Nzoia, where she plans to lead both tree-planting and community clean-up efforts.
She also announced that the government is finalising the Forest Conservation and Management Bill 2025, intended to strengthen legal protection for forests and attract private-sector investment in sustainable forestry.
The new leadership in the environmental docket comes after a cabinet reshuffle in early 2025. CS Barasa officially took over the ministry from Aden Duale, handing over on Tuesday following President Ruto’s reassignments.
Duale had briefly served in the environment portfolio before being shifted. As for Rebecca Miano, the Tourism and Wildlife docket holder, she has been listed in parliamentary records alongside the environmental docket in oversight or collaborative settings, though she is not directly leading environmental policy.
While the public rollout is days away, meteorologists have already issued a glimmer of hope: sunny, dry conditions are forecasted across most of the country on October 10, with only pockets, mainly coastal and western regions, expected to see light rain. That, officials say, should assist rather than hinder planting efforts.
But critics warn that unless the initiative is paired with rigorous follow-up, Kenya may revert to short-lived “photo-op” tree-planting drives.
In a recent opinion piece, a national columnist cautioned: “Planting trees is good, yes, but nurturing them, preventing illegal cutting and embedding environmental ethics in governance, that is the real work.”
For the government, this Mazingira Day is a statement of intent: that climate action must be both national and personal, sweeping in its ambition yet rooted in communities.
As Barasa summed it up, “Let us go back to our roots, plant fruit trees, clean our schools, and grow the future we want for Kenya.”
