Kaboywo–Kongit Forest Block, Bungoma County — November 7, 2025

Kenya today marked a historic milestone in its environmental conservation journey with the celebration of the inaugural Mount Elgon Day 2025, held at the Kaboywo–Kongit Forest Block in Bungoma County.

The event, themed “Mt. Elgon: Our Lifeline, Our Heritage,” brought together hundreds of participants, including national and county government leaders, community members, development partners, and conservation organizations, united by a shared commitment to restore and protect one of Kenya’s most vital ecosystems.

The celebrations were led by Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Dr. Deborah Barasa, who spearheaded a mass tree-growing exercise alongside community members and institutional partners.

Dr. Barasa was accompanied by:

• Mr. Gitonga Mugambi, Principal Secretary for Forestry,
• Mr. Harry Kimtai, Principal Secretary for Mining and Patron of the Mount Elgon Restoration Initiative.

The presence of senior officials from the national and county governments, representatives from the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), NEMA, and development partners underscored the national importance of the event.

The Mount Elgon Restoration Initiative

In her address, CS Dr. Barasa reaffirmed the government’s dedication to the restoration and sustainable management of the Mount Elgon ecosystem, one of Kenya’s five major water towers.

“Mount Elgon is not just a forest — it is a lifeline. Its rivers nourish farmlands, its trees regulate our climate, and its biodiversity sustains livelihoods. Restoring this ecosystem means securing our future,”
she stated.

The Mount Elgon Restoration Initiative, launched as part of the event, aims to rehabilitate over 103,000 hectares of degraded forest and farmland across Bungoma and Trans Nzoia Counties. The initiative aligns with the 15 Billion Trees Campaign (2022–2032) and Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), highlighting the government’s focus on sustainable livelihoods through ecosystem restoration.

Tree Growing and Community Participation

Over 35,000 indigenous tree seedlings were planted during the celebrations across the Kaboywo–Kongit Forest Block. Participants included local communities, women’s groups, youth, learning institutions, and corporate partners, all contributing to Kenya’s national tree-growing goals.

The exercise demonstrated a whole-of-society approach to landscape restoration, where communities are recognized as key custodians of the forest and beneficiaries of ecosystem services.

Speeches and Key Messages

In her remarks, Dr. Barasa called on all Kenyans to take active roles in tree growing and environmental stewardship, emphasizing that “every tree planted is an investment in water, food, and life itself.”

Principal Secretary Mr. Gitonga Mugambi highlighted the progress of the 15 Billion Trees Programme, noting that over 825 million trees have already been planted nationwide. He encouraged citizens to continue logging their contributions through the JazaMiti digital platform.

PS Mr. Harry Kimtai, Patron of the Mount Elgon Restoration Initiative, reiterated the government’s commitment to a community-centered approach to conservation, combining reforestation with income-generating activities such as beekeeping, eco-tourism, and sustainable forest enterprises.

Stakeholders Present

The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including:

1. Kenya Forest Service (KFS)
2. National Environment Management Authority (NEMA)
3. Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI)
4. County Governments of Bungoma and Trans Nzoia
5. Community Forest Associations (CFAs)
6. Development partners including IDH, WWF-Kenya, IUCN, and Nature Kenya
7. Local schools and women’s groups actively engaged in tree nursery establishment

Restoration for resilience: Restoration of degraded ecosystems enhances water security, soil fertility, and climate regulation.

Community empowerment: Local communities remain at the heart of conservation efforts through benefit-sharing and sustainable forest management.

National targets: The event contributes directly to Kenya’s target of achieving 30% tree cover by 2032.

Education and awareness: The event served as a platform for biodiversity education, encouraging school participation and youth engagement in conservation.

The inaugural Mount Elgon Day 2025 has set a new benchmark for ecosystem restoration and public participation in conservation. It symbolizes Kenya’s growing commitment to the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and the national NBSAP (2019–2030) goals of restoring degraded landscapes, conserving biodiversity, and promoting harmony between people and nature.

As the newly planted trees take root, they stand as living symbols of hope — for communities, for biodiversity, and for future generations.

Source:
Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), 2025.

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