President William Ruto on Thursday led Kenyans in celebrating the 2025 Mazingira Day with a major tree-planting exercise held at State House, Nairobi.
The annual event, dedicated to promoting environmental conservation and awareness, saw the Head of State joined by First Lady Rachel Ruto, school children, and senior government officials, including Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa.
Together, they planted trees within the State House compound as part of the government’s wider environmental restoration agenda.
Speaking during the event, President Ruto called on Kenyans to make tree planting a personal commitment and not just a one-day exercise. He urged citizens across the country to join hands in restoring Kenya’s forests and degraded ecosystems.
“Tree planting should not be an event for leaders only,” the President said. “It must become part of our lives and culture. Every Kenyan should take pride in planting and nurturing trees wherever they are.”
He further appealed to Kenyans to extend the spirit of Mazingira Day beyond their homes and workplaces by visiting schools they once attended to plant trees.
“Schools play a key role in shaping young minds,” Ruto noted. “If we involve children in tree planting, we will raise a generation that values nature and takes responsibility for its protection.”
The President highlighted that his administration is prioritizing the restoration of degraded lands, forests, and water catchment areas as part of efforts to tackle the effects of climate change.
“We are reforesting areas that were previously destroyed for various reasons,” he said. “Our focus remains on sensitive zones like watersheds, where trees make the greatest environmental impact.”
President Ruto reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to achieving its ambitious goal of planting 15 billion trees by 2032, saying this will help secure the nation’s ecological future.
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Environment