Kwale: The Kenya Navy, in partnership with private companies and local communities, braced the early morning showers and planted 10,000 mangrove seedlings at Tsunza in Kwale County on Friday, advancing the country’s national target of establishing 15 billion trees by 2032.
According to Kenya News Agency, the joint initiative brought together members of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), conservation organisations, insurance firms, and residents from surrounding villages to restore fragile coastal wetlands that serve as critical buffers against erosion, flooding, and the decline of marine life.
Lieutenant Colonel Boniface Amimo of the Kenya Navy stated that the exercise reflected the military’s expanding role in environmental restoration following President William Ruto’s directive for the KDF to spearhead the national tree-planting programme. He emphasized the importance of collaboration with key partners and the community in Tsunza to achieve these environmental goals.
The Kenya Navy has set an ambitious target of planting eight million seedlings during the 2025/2026 financial year, with approximately 3.2 million already planted across the Coast region, comprising mangroves, fruit trees, and indigenous species. Mangroves are known for their ability to absorb and store large quantities of atmospheric carbon dioxide, shielding coastlines from erosion and providing critical breeding grounds for marine life.
Environmental groups caution that logging and unregulated coastal development have significantly reduced mangrove cover, leaving communities vulnerable to flooding and declining fish stocks. Sakwa James of Furaha Baraka Farms, a participating conservation organisation, highlighted the essential role mangroves play in ecological protection and community wellbeing.
Samuel Muthomi of First Assurance stressed the necessity for businesses to address climate change, emphasizing his company’s commitment to sustaining the ecosystem by targeting two million mangrove seedlings. Brian Hamadi of Absa Life Assurance Kenya noted the dual environmental and economic benefits of tree-planting, describing it as an investment for both nature and local communities.
For coastal residents, the project provides economic benefits beyond environmental protection, as Khadija Ali Kodi, a local resident, explained. Mangrove conservation has become a source of income for families, enabling them to sell seedlings and support their children’s education. She urged her community to cease illegal tree cutting, warning that environmental destruction impacts everyone indiscriminately.
