By Nicholas Wamalwa
In a clear break of tradition, this year’s Mazingira Day that will celebrated tomorrow the 10th of October, Kenya’s 35,570 public and private primary schools are set to plant at least 2,000 fruit trees in their compounds to mark the day.
Besides contributing to Kenya’s grand goal to plant 15 billion trees by 2032, this year’s Mazingira Day celebrations will add a whooping 71 million trees to Kenya’s tree bank in a single day that will see senior Government officials led by Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa go back to their home areas to oversee the nationwide exercise.
This profoundly ambitious endeavour transcends the mere act of planting for it represents a cultivated investment in both the nation’s ecological future and the physical well-being of its youngest generation. The deliberate selection of fruit trees—mango, avocado, guava, and the like—imbues this national effort with a pragmatic and nurturing character.
These are symbols of environmental stewardship over and above serving as future sources of nutrition, shade, and tangible sustenance for school communities. They shall ultimately become a source of nutrients as they inculcate in the young ones first-hand rhythms of nature and the patience required for growth, and the sweet reward of harvest. This will certainly foster a lifelong ethic of conservation rooted in direct, personal benefit.
The decision for senior Government officials to return to their ancestral homes to lead the tree Mazingira Day fruit tree planting initiative is a masterstroke, infusing the occasion with a powerful sense of personal commitment and local pride. It beautifully bridges the gap between national policy and grassroots action while reminding every community that this grand vision for a greener Kenya is, in truth, the sum of countless localised endeavours. Under the guidance of Cabinet Secretary Barasa, this dispersal of leadership across the country will ensure that the message of Mazingira Day resonates with equal weight in every county, every constituency, and every schoolyard.
Environment CS Deborah Barasa during a tree planting drive. Photo Courtesy.
Thus, tomorrow shall witness a remarkable national tableau, having as it will, the energy of millions of schoolchildren directed toward a singular, constructive purpose with their hands placed in the soil not as a foundational contribution to their own inheritance.
Beyond being a statement of intent, this synchronised national planting exercise is a demonstration of what is achievable when public will is harnessed to a clear and visionary objective. It is a promise to the future where cooler shades, cleaner air, enriched soil, and a landscape teeming with life will become a reality.
Once these trees eventually reach maturity, they shall become a permanent testament to the day Kenya united to sow the seeds of its own renewal towards ensuring that the legacy of Mazingira Day 2025 will be enjoyed for generations to come.
Wamalwa is an enthusiast of communication for environmental wellbeing
