Nakuru: The Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) has scaled up the development of science-driven, research-backed solutions to accelerate sustainable forestry, ecosystem restoration, and resilience to climate change across the country. KEFRI’s Principal Research Scientist Dr. Robert Nyambati explained that the State Corporation was actively partnering with various government agencies, devolved units, corporate and international organizations to translate scientific research into actionable field innovations towards supporting the 15 billion Tree Growing and Restoration Initiative, launched by President William Ruto in 2022.
According to Kenya News Agency, the 15 billion Tree Growing and Restoration Initiative seeks to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes and raise national tree cover to 30 percent by 2032. Dr. Nyambati said that modern and innovative technologies were a vital step in helping communities in Kenya participate meaningfully in environmental conservation and restoration efforts while improving their livelihoods and resilience to climate change. Through specialized eco-region programs, strategic partnerships, and high-tech innovations, KEFRI was providing critical technical expertise to advance climate resilience, restore degraded landscapes, and support sustainable livelihoods.
The principal researcher made the remarks at the Nakuru County headquarters during deliberations between the devolved unit’s Department’s for Water, Environment, Energy, Climate Change, and Natural Resources officials led by the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in charge of the docket, Dr. Nelson Maara, and a delegation from the State Department for Forestry and KEFRI. According to the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy 2023-2032, the country seeks to restore 10.6 million hectares, with 70 percent of these efforts focused on arid and semi-arid areas. The restoration strategy emphasizes interventions such as rehabilitating degraded drylands and forests, restoring wetlands and riparian zones, promoting agroforestry, commercial tree farming, and greening urban spaces and infrastructure.
Dr. Nyambati said the research body was providing a scientific matching tool that guides tree growers countrywide to select resilient tree species tailored to specific ecological zones, maximizing survival rates. The National Forest Resource Assessment (2021) placed Kenya’s tree cover at 12.13 percent and forest cover at 8.83 percent. A 2016 assessment identified 38.8 million hectares of land with potential for restoration. Dr. Nyambati pointed out that KEFRI conducts joint research with local, regional, and international partners on breeding drought-resistant tree strains optimized for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), adding that the institute was developing and distributing genetically superior tree seeds designed to increase carbon capture and boost the long-term ecological stability of reforested areas.
The scientists pledged that they would remain committed to delivering the technical protocols required by counties to establish high-capacity nurseries capable of producing millions of certified seedlings. The Institute, he elaborated, was driving sustainable forestry and climate resilience in Kenya by mapping species to specific planting sites and developing digital decision-support tools. ‘KEFRI provides the technical foundation for the country’s national target to increase tree cover to 30 percent by growing 15 billion trees,’ he added.
Dr. Nyambati hailed the Sh21.5 billion, 10-year Mau Forest Complex Integrated Conservation and Livelihood Improvement Programme (MFC-ICLIP) that is aimed at restoring the Mau Forest Complex, including 3,313 hectares of degraded forest by planting approximately four million tree seedlings in its first phase. The Mau, Kenya’s largest water tower, feeds 12 major rivers, including the Mara River, famed for the wildebeest migration, and supplies water to Lake Victoria and Tanzania’s Lake Natron in addition to powering hydroelectric stations nationally. The project is aligned with the Climate Change Act and will focus on degraded landscapes in Molo, Njoro, and Kuresoi sub-counties within Nakuru County.
The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) For Water, Environment, Energy, Climate Change, and Natural Resources Dr. Nelson Maara called for technical support in establishing a modern tree nursery capable of producing over one million seedlings annually and urged the registration and support of private nurseries to enhance access to quality seedlings and create local income opportunities. He stated that formalizing private tree nurseries will ensure high-quality planting stock to support ambitious environmental goals, such as Kenya’s national 15 billion Trees Campaign. The CECM explained that registration and formal certification of private tree nurseries serve as the foundation for verifying seed origin, boosting seedling survival rates, and integrating local growers into lucrative government and commercial supply chains.
He regretted that for a long time, small-scale nurseries had suffered from poor management, wrong species matching, and field mortality rates as high as 50 percent to 60 percent, but was happy that Certified tree nurseries act as the structural engine for Kenya’s National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy and are ensuring supply of high-quality, disease-resistant seedlings to farmers. ‘We must all work together towards ensuring the scaling up of strict nursery certification and production capacity so as to achieve the national ambition to elevate tree cover to over 30 percent,’ he advised.
Dr. Maara stated that certification ensures seedlings have optimal genetics, strong root systems, and resistance to pests and diseases, lowering field mortality rates. He added that certified entities propagate ecologically appropriate species (such as indigenous and specialized agroforestry types) tailored to specific climatic zones, reversing degradation effectively. Proper certification and scientific guidance, Maara said, prevents invasive species, maximizes survival rates, and restores ecosystems efficiently.
KEFRI already announced that it has put in place strategies to collect, process, and distribute tree seeds equivalent to 2 billion seedlings required to meet the country’s tree cover needs. The institution has a target of 1,000 metric tonnes of seeds over ten years, translating to 100 metric tonnes per year. One of the research-backed solutions developed by the State Corporation to accelerate sustainable forestry, ecosystem restoration, and climate resilience is KEFRIApp, widely known as JazaMiti, an official mobile application and serves as a scientific and data-driven platform designed to support Kenya’s national climate action goal. The APP’s key feature is the Species-to-Site Matching which uses geographic data to recommend the best tree species for a specific soil, elevation, and climate. The App also has a real-time data capture component which records numbers and types of trees planted on public or private land and allows tree growers to monitor the survival and mortality rates of their trees over time
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According to the Forest Status Report 2024, Kenya loses an average of 84,716 hectares of forest every year to deforestation, while 14,934 hectares suffer degradation, costing the economy an estimated Sh534 billion annually in lost ecosystem services, reduced rainfall, diminished water quality, and soil erosion.
