- Semen, who was among 197 students that graduated, said the skills and knowledge will help her in enforcing forest protection and management.
- She is among students funded by WWF-Kenya’s Forest Landscape Restoration.
Image: GILBERT KOECH
When Agnes Semen, 23, heard about sponsorship opportunities for young people to advance their careers in the protection and management of forest resources, she knew that her turn had come.
Semen, who hails from Loitoktok, did not waste her time.
“I knew that the sponsorship was godsend,” she said shortly after graduating from Londiani-based Kenya Forestry College on September 13 with a diploma in forestry.
This was during the 47th graduation ceremony which was graced by Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, Forestry Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi, Kenya Forest Service board chairman Titus Korir, chief conservator of forests, Alex Lemarkoko and college principal Dr Elizabeth Wambugu.
The college is managed by KFS and is the only technical training institute for foresters at diploma and certificate levels.
It also offers other relevant training programmes meant to equip trainees with high quality technical knowledge in the forestry and environmental conservation sector.
Semen said the knowledge and skills she has gained will come in handy in greening her county as well as the country.
“I will be able to help my community on how to conserve and protect the forest. They will also know the benefits associated with forests, especially the section of community members who may not be aware,” she said.
Forests contribute to our economy through job creation, enhancing agricultural productivity and providing essential resources.
Kajiado county is among the devolved units trying their best to restore degraded landscapes.
The county currently hosts a model nursery that can hold 1.3 million seedlings annually in Loitoktok.
Plans are underway to ensure that the nursery produces three million seedlings annually.
The nursery, funded by WWF-Kenya to the tune of Sh16 million, has a bi-annual production of 650,000 seedlings.
Semen, who was among 197 students that graduated, said the skills and knowledge will help her in enforcing forest protection and management.
She is among students funded by WWF-Kenya’s Forest Landscape Restoration.
Stephen Markira, Lemomo Kapilil and Isaya Lenkai are other beneficiaries.
James Larmoi, from Kajiado country, said they have gaps that will be addressed by the graduates.
“Having these students graduating, we will have advanced talent and we will hope to work together with them,” he said.
This comes even as statistics from the institution show that the number of female students pursuing forestry-related courses is on the rise.
Image: HANDOUT
College principal Wambugu said the number of graduates admitted recently was the highest number, since 1957.
She added that the one-year certificate programme in forestry had 37 males compared to 42 females, bringing the total to 79 and representing 53 per cent female graduands.
The college shows that the two-year diploma in forestry programme attracted 45 males as compared to 59 females, bringing the total to 104, representing 57 per cent female graduands.
Diploma in environmental management attracted six male students as compared to eight females, bringing a total to 14, and 57 per cent female graduates.
“I hereby confirm that those graduating today have been well-trained with relevant skills, and knowledge and have acquired the right attitudes and aptitude to effectively serve the nation in the forestry and related sectors wherever their services will be required,” Wambugu said.
She added that the current enrolment stands at 532 students (266 males and 268 females).
“This is an increment of 126 per cent since last year. We are currently at 49.8 per cent males and 50.2 per cent females,” Wambugu said.
“As all the trainers and trainees from certificate to degree can tell you, forestry and environmental fields, as other science related fields has been male dominated.”
Duale advised graduates to use their newly acquired skills, competencies and knowledge to contribute to the sustainable management of Kenya's valuable forest resources.
Lemarkoko forestry is not just about trees; it's about sustaining livelihoods, preserving biodiversity and combating climate change.
“The skills and knowledge you have gained are essential as we strive to address the current climate crisis. Globally, nations are facing unprecedented environmental challenges, and Kenya is no exception," he said.
"Our efforts to mitigate climate change and adapt to its effects are intertwined with our work in forestry. Your role as a forestry professional will be pivotal in advancing these efforts.”
Lemarkoko urged the graduands to apply the expertise they have acquired to unlock the potential of the forestry sector to drive sustainable development and economic growth.
He said the work of the graduands will directly impact communities, help to maintain ecological balance and foster resilience in the face of environmental challenges.
KFS has constructed key facilities such as the Timber Value Addition Centre, expanded programmes and infrastructure to meet the demands of the sector and the needs of students. It has also employed 476 former graduates of the college within the last academic year.
KFS is the lead agency tasked with the implementation of the government's agenda of attaining 30 per cent tree cover by 2032, up from the current 12.13 per cent.
It protects 6.4 million acres of gazetted forests and another 420 million acres under counties.
The government has an ambitious programme of growing 15 billion trees in the next 10 years under climate action initiative anchored on a 10-year National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy.
In total, the government seeks to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded ecosystems and landscapes across 11 intervention areas.
The programme requires Sh600 billion, meaning the budget for each year will be Sh60 billion.
Already, the Kenya Forestry Research Institute has scaled up its efforts of providing tree seeds.
Kefri started in 1985 when it produced 1.5 tonnes of seeds per year to meet the needs of the forest department. Today, it collects seeds from more than 400 tree species in the country.
The institute has seed units in its 18 centres.
Kefri says the country will have to grow at least 20 billion trees, as not all of them will survive.
The forest cover increased from 5.9 per cent in 2018 to 8.83 per cent in 2021, while the national tree cover stands at 12.13 per cent above the constitutional target of 10 per cent.