The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry has begun preparations for Mazingira Day 2025, which will be marked on October 10 under the theme “Citizen-Centric Tree Growing and Environmental Stewardship.”
Mazingira Day, established through an amendment to the Public Holidays Act, has grown into one of Kenya’s leading platforms for environmental awareness and citizen mobilization. This year, the spotlight will be on fruit tree planting in primary schools, an initiative designed to combine environmental restoration with nutrition, education, and livelihoods.
Speaking during a media briefing in Nairobi, the Principal Secretary for Forestry said fruit trees were deliberately chosen for their wide-ranging benefits, including providing food and vitamins, creating income opportunities, improving microclimates, and instilling environmental stewardship among young learners. The PS urged Kenyans to heed the call to return to their former primary schools under the campaign rallying cry, “Turudi Primo Tukadonate Fruit Trees na KucleanEnvironment,” and to plant trees alongside pupils while also participating in school and market clean-ups.
The national celebrations will be held in Trans-Nzoia County. More than 10,000 fruit trees will be planted across 60 acres, with leaders, learners, communities, development partners, and cultural performers expected to participate in mentorship sessions, exhibitions, and tree-growing activities. At the same time, decentralized events will take place in over 9,000 primary schools across the country, coordinated by assistant chiefs with the support of Cabinet Secretaries, governors, alumni, and local communities. These activities will extend to market clean-ups and conservation drives, reinforcing the connection between tree growing, waste management, and healthier community spaces.
The Ministry has set a national target of planting 71.14 million seedlings across more than 35,000 public and private primary schools. Each school is expected to grow at least 2,000 fruit trees. Where land is limited, seedlings will be distributed to learners to take home, ensuring that every child becomes part of Kenya’s restoration journey.
Mazingira Day 2025 is also aligned with broader national efforts under the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (2023–2032) and the 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme, which seeks to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes and achieve 30 percent tree cover by 2032. Since the programme’s launch in December 2022, Kenyans have already planted close to one billion trees.
To coordinate the upcoming celebrations, the Ministry has constituted a National Planning Committee supported by subcommittees on logistics, communications, technical issues, and resource mobilization. Counties and partners are contributing seedlings, fencing, transport, and publicity to ensure the success of the initiative.
In the lead-up to October 10, the Ministry is calling on all Kenyans to return to their former primary schools between October 3 and 9 to donate and plant fruit trees, join clean-up exercises, and mentor the next generation. The Principal Secretary described the initiative as a unifying moment for alumni, teachers, learners, and communities to leave behind a living legacy for future generations.
