In a powerful stride toward environmental conservation, Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, and Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka have unveiled an expansion of the Kaberua Tree Nursery in Kapsokwony.
The initiative doubles the nursery’s annual production capacity from 500,000 to 1 million seedlings and will expand its land coverage from 1 acre to 2 acres.
This ambitious step is part of the 15 Billion National Tree Growing Programme and aims to restore degraded areas of Mt. Elgon Forest.
The expansion was celebrated as a significant step toward environmental restoration, with Aden Duale expressing enthusiasm for the project’s impact.
“The expansion of Kaberua Tree Nursery will accelerate the restoration of degraded parts of Mt. Elgon Forest,” he stated, highlighting the project’s alignment with Kenya’s broader national tree-growing goals.
The initiative is supported by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and the Kaberua Community Forest Association (CFA) under the new Integrated Landscape Management for Conservation and Restoration of the Mount. Elgon Forest Ecosystem Project.
This project, launched Thursday, November 7, is backed by the 7th Cycle of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-7) through the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with co-funding from Bungoma and Trans-Nzoia Counties.
Governor Ken Lusaka welcomed Aden Duale at Kaberua D.E.B Primary School in Kapsokwony, expressing pride in Bungoma County’s role in the project.
The initiative is set to create new employment opportunities, boosting local livelihoods while enhancing environmental conservation efforts.
Accompanying Duale were several other key figures, including Forestry Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi. EBS, Bungoma Deputy Governor Janepher Chemtai Mbatiany, and Kimilili MP Didmus Wekesa Barasa.
The launch represents a crucial step in Kenya’s climate action goals, combining conservation efforts with sustainable livelihoods.
As part of this landmark event, KFS and the Kaberua CFA will actively contribute to the larger mission of rehabilitating the Mt. Elgon Forest, a critical watershed and biodiversity hotspot.
