Homa bay: The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) has launched an ambitious environmental conservation programme aimed at restoring the depleted Wire Forest in Homa Bay County through a large-scale tree-planting exercise. Speaking during the launch of the initiative in Rachuonyo, KETRACO Corporate Communications Officer Raphael Muoria said the company plans to plant 60,000 tree seedlings in the forest during the ongoing rainy season.
According to Kenya News Agency, the week-long exercise, which began on Monday, is being undertaken in partnership with the Wire Forest Management Association (WIFOMA), community groups, and other environmental stakeholders to improve forest cover and protect the ecosystem. Muoria highlighted that the exercise is part of KETRACO’s broader national environmental conservation agenda, aiming to plant 700,000 tree seedlings across the country within one year.
Muoria also noted that Wire Forest was chosen as a priority conservation area due to its environmental significance and KETRACO’s ongoing energy projects in South Nyanza. He cited the recently commissioned 132 KV Sondu-Homa Bay-Awendo power transmission line, launched by President William Ruto in March 2026, as a crucial infrastructure project to stabilise electricity supply in the region. He expressed enthusiasm about providing high-voltage electricity to the community while partnering in environmental conservation.
During the launch, stakeholders planted 3,000 seedlings, part of the 60,000 seedlings expected by the end of the exercise. Muoria assured residents of KETRACO’s commitment to monitoring the project’s progress to ensure the seedlings’ survival and maturity. He encouraged residents to engage in tree planting at their homes and farms to help the country achieve the national goal of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.
Muoria commended the Wire Forest Community Forest Association (CFA) for its collaborative role in safeguarding the forest. He also acknowledged the support from local community groups and non-governmental organisations contributing to conservation efforts. Wire Forest spans approximately 387.3 hectares, an area Muoria believes can be rehabilitated through sustained tree planting and management.
Christine Osunga, Chairperson of the Wire Forest Management Association, mentioned several livelihood and environmental conservation initiatives launched to protect the forest and improve the welfare of surrounding communities. These initiatives include beekeeping, fruit tree planting, and climate-smart agriculture projects at the household level.
Osunga assured KETRACO that the 60,000 seedlings would be well-cared-for to ensure high survival rates and called for continued partnership between the company and the community. She expressed confidence that the efforts of WIFOMA and KETRACO would greatly enhance environmental conservation.
Wire Forest Station Manager Fredrick Ndiga acknowledged the ongoing support from various organisations for conservation efforts in the forest. He emphasised the importance of monitoring the newly planted trees and urged residents to prevent livestock from entering protected areas to avoid damaging young seedlings. Ndiga detailed several forest blocks under Wire Forest Station, including God Nyaingu, Nyasore Forest, Kamodi Forest, and God Nyango, which were gazetted in recent years.
