Nairobi: Vihiga County is one of the 31 counties set to participate in the Presidential Green Challenge to plant six million trees in one hour on October 10, 2026, during Mazingira Day celebrations. Speaking during a Vihiga County Mazingira Day planning meeting held on Friday in the County Commissioner’s boardroom, Vihiga County Forest Conservator Hellen Sikuku said the county will plant 43,000 trees in Kibiri Forest in Tiriki East Sub-County.
According to Kenya News Agency, Sikuku stated that the trees will be planted at two sites, with 30,000 indigenous tree seedlings planted at one site and 13,000 exotic tree seedlings at another within Kibiri Forest. She mentioned that tree seedlings will also be planted in schools, noting that the county has identified 110 hectares of land, including schools and hills, for the exercise.
She called on all stakeholders to participate in the challenge and support the tree-growing exercise as part of efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change. Sikuku said a Mazingir
a Week will be held from October 5 to October 10, 2026, ahead of the main celebrations. The activities will include cleaning towns and rivers and planting trees in schools and on hills, including Ebusiekwe, Elubeko, and Maragoli hills.
She added that the exercise will rely on labour from the National Youth Service (NYS) in Turbo, beneficiaries of the NYOTA Fund, village elders, people serving Community Service Orders, and prisoners from Vihiga GK Prison. She called on well-wishers, partners, and sponsors to support the initiative by providing seedlings, fuel, and refreshments for those involved in preparing sites and planting trees.
The conservator said the identified sites will be prepared before the exercise to ensure that seedlings are planted efficiently and have favourable conditions for growth. She said the county will work with communities and institutions to mobilise participants and coordinate activities during the Mazingira Week. The initiative is expected to strengthen public awareness on environ
mental conservation and encourage residents to take responsibility for protecting forests, hills, rivers, and natural resources.
Speaking during the meeting, Vihiga Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner Linet Orina called on residents and heads of departments to be patriotic and act as ambassadors of environmental conservation. Orina warned residents against cutting down trees without certificates or permission from the State Department for Forest Services.
“Even if you are the one who planted the trees, you need permission from the government before cutting them down, as this will help in controlling the trees cut and conserving the environment,” said Orina. She called on all residents to plant trees to help the country achieve its target of growing 15 billion trees by 2032.
