Over 200 trees have been planted by students of The Ultimate Leader Muumandu Hills Academy in Machakos County as part of a new environmental conservation initiative launched by the Nature Community Organization. The school greening programme is expected to expand to other learning institutions across the county, aligning with Kenya’s ambitious target to achieve 30% tree cover by 2050.
Speaking during the launch on Monday, July 28, 2025, Mr. Fredrick Kioko, a representative of the organization, urged learners to become champions of environmental protection.
“We are here for a tree planting session with the children from The Ultimate Leader Muumandu Hills Academy. We chose this school because our organization is registered in Machakos, and we believed it was right to begin this greening initiative at home,” said Kioko.
He disclosed that the exercise marks the beginning of a long-term plan that includes setting up a tree nursery with over 10,000 seedlings within the school. The seedlings will be distributed to neighboring schools to encourage wide-scale environmental sustainability.
“This is not a one-off event. We plan to do more, including setting up a nursery to produce thousands of seedlings that will be distributed to surrounding schools. Our environment plays a pivotal role in our lives, and learners must take responsibility in preserving it,” Kioko added.
The school’s principal, Mr. Patrick Mwangi, praised the partnership, saying it will not only help improve environmental health through better air quality and rainfall but also open opportunities for economic empowerment.
“Today, our learners have taken part in a very impactful activity led by the Nature Hub team. Planting trees ensures fresh air, attracts rainfall, and can be income-generating, especially when learners sell seedlings,” Mwangi noted.
He called on parents and the wider community to embrace conservation as both a climate solution and a livelihood strategy.
“This is not the end. In collaboration with the Nature Hub team, we’ve agreed to keep this initiative alive and ongoing,” he said.
The initiative supports Kenya’s national vision of planting 15 billion trees by 2032, with government programs like the National Tree Growing Campaign and the National Tree Growing Fund providing backing for such grassroots efforts.
