As published on www.ghanaweb.live on May 9th 2025
Nairobi – Minet, a risk advisory firm, has planted 20,000tree seedlings. This planting took place in the Matahia block of the Uplands Forest in Kiambu County. It is part of their goal to plant 500,000 trees in Kenya by 2030.
With this new planting, Minet has now planted a total of 46,000 trees over three years. More than 100 local community members participated in this latest effort. They have committed to nurturing the trees until they mature.
According to the 2024 Forest Status Report by the Kenya Forest Service, Kenya loses about 84,700 hectares of forest each year. An additional 14,900 hectares are degraded annually. Deforestation is caused by logging, charcoal burning, and agricultural expansion. This damage costs the economy over Sh534 billion each year due to lost carbon storage and reduced agricultural yields.
Minet CEO Sammy Muthui stated that reforestation is not just an environmental issue. It is also a development challenge linked to food security and climate resilience.
This initiative aligns with Kenya’s Forest Ecosystem Landscape Restoration Strategy. The strategy aims to plant 15 billion trees and restore over 10 million hectares of degraded land by 2032.
Minet had planned more tree plantings for 2024 but faced delays due to a landslide at the site. Planting resumed in 2025 after receiving clearance from forest authorities.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics reported that areas for new tree planting doubled last year. They increased from 2,400 hectares in 2023 to 4,900 hectares in 2024. This reflects a rise in national reforestation efforts.
Minet estimates that the trees planted this year will produce enough oxygen for about 10,000 people once mature. They will also absorb over 440,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide each year.
