Ruto’s 15 billion trees initiative misses target amid big-money controversy

The details emerged days after former senior officials in Ruto’s administration claimed the tree planting drive was a money laundering scheme.

The allegations have separately been made by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and ex-Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi.

Muturi initially served as Attorney General.

Environment CS Deborah Barasa termed the progress of the tree planting a “milestone” despite being on the verge of missing the target in the second year of the campaign.

In February, Ruto told Heads of Diplomatic Missions and International Organisations that Kenya planted 750 million trees in 2024, only half the target.

This would mean in three and half months, Kenya has planted an extra 33 million trees.

Prior to Ruto's announcement, then Environment CS Aden Duale had announced that Kenyans planted 481 million trees from January 2024 to October 2024. It would then mean in just two months, 269 million trees were planted.

Ruto has committed to plant 15 billion by 2032, meaning 1.5 billion trees every year, and even with these numbers, the government is falling behind its target.

The campaign has, however, faced various challenges, including financing.

According to the Controller of Budget report for the first six months 2024-25, the allocation to the State Department of Forestry was cut from Sh13.5 billion in 2023-24 to Sh12.08 billion in 2024-25. The amount was to fund the forest management and water towers conservation. A huge chunk of the money, however, went to recurrent expenditure, save for Sh1.6 billion that went to development in the period.

CS Barasa was bullish, however, saying the 15 billion trees target is more than a number.

“It’s a promise to our children and a commitment to combat climate change, restore our ecosystems and secure a greener, more prosperous Kenya,” she said.

The tree planting campaign aims to reduce greenhouse emissions, stop and reverse deforestation and restore 5.1 million hectares of deforested and degraded landscapes.

These are part of Kenya's international obligations towards the Nationally Determined Contributions — national climate action plans submitted by states under the Paris Agreement.

Impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on April 7 claimed that Ruto’s 15-billion tree planting initiative was a money laundering scheme.

He went on to say that it was stopped after former Attorney General Justin Muturi declined to approve a deal that would have seen the Environment ministry receive $1 billion funding bypassing Treasury.

“Since Muturi refused to sign that thing, you have not heard the President talk of climate change for the last one year,” Gachagua said.

“That year, 2023, he was speaking nothing else other than climate change. It was a scheme for money laundering.”

Muturi had in an earlier interview said Ruto attempted to pressure him into hurriedly signing the $1 billion deal with Russian oligarchs on planting trees. 

"I was invited to go to COP 28 in Dubai. I landed in Dubai and received a phone call from Ruto, who told me that the Russians were waiting at the airport and I needed to sign the documents," Muturi said.

“I declined, saying I needed to review the documents in the office.”

In his explanation, the deal was to give a grant of Sh129 billion to allegedly grow three billion trees.

“Whenever Ruto comes up with a project, it's for moneymaking," he alleged. 

“So they bring me a Memorandum of Understanding and I tell them that the Sh129 billion can only be by a grant but can't come directly to the ministry. It only goes through the Treasury.”

In March 2023, Ruto told the UN General Assembly that the youth had taken the lead in planting the 15 billion trees.

He hosted the Africa Climate Summit in September and introduced the Tree Planting holiday in November of that year.