Teachers Service Commission Director of Administrative Services, Ibrahim Mumin (left), participates in a tree-planting drive at Nairobi Primary School on October 4, 2023.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is among top 10 organisations leading the afforestation course having planted over 3.2 million trees to date.
Data from the JazaMiti app shows the TSC ranks at position 10, the list where the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) holds position one having planted 37.8 million trees, followed by the Earthlungs Reaforestation at 23.6 million and the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) at 12.2 million trees.
Others featured in the list include the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), Konza Technopolis, KOMAZA, Search Organisation, National Oil and Eden Reaforestation Projects.
The tree planting exercise is part of efforts to boost forest cover in Kenya in compliance with the presidential drive aimed at reversing deforestation and mitigate the effects of climate change. President William Ruto committed to the government’s strategy of planting 15 billion tree seedlings by 2032 to increase the country’s forest cover and restore degraded landscapes.
The JazaMiti App is the government monitor for the growth of the trees in the journey to reach the target. The app is designed to provide assistance to users in selecting suitable tree species for planting based on their location. It also allows users to document, track, and monitor the growth of documented trees over time. The TSC has showcased its involvement on various occasions including the National Tree Growing Day on May 10, 2024, planting trees across the country during the ongoing heavy rainy season.
This common goal highlights TSC’s collective dedication to creating a greener and more sustainable future for Kenya. Planting trees not only boosts the country’s forest cover but also supports biodiversity, improves air and water quality, and mitigates the effects of climate change. When unveiling the tree-planting drive in December last year, President Ruto Commission at Forefront in Promoting Tree Planting Drive, Research Shows that devastating effects of climate change had burdened other sectors, including health and infrastructure, and disrupted local and international supply chains.
The initiative seeks to mitigate the effects of climate change, including unpredictable rainfall patterns, floods, droughts, and disease and pest outbreaks. Among the objectives of the national forest policy in Kenya is to increase and maintain tree and forest cover of at least 10 percent of the land area in the country.
Other objectives include promoting investment in commercial tree growing, the forest industry, and trade, as well as promoting public, private, and community participation and partnership in forest sector development.
