National Mazingira Day 2024 Celebrations
The first Mazingira Day national celebrations were held on Thursday on 10th October 2024, at Nairobi Arboretum. The event was led by Environment and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, accompanied by Forestry Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi, KFS management and other dignitaries, and attended by various environmental organisations, school groups, and Nairobians.
Mazingira Day provides an opportunity for all Kenyans to participate in environment conservation activities to ensure Kenyans enjoy a clean and healthy environment. It also offers a crucial opportunity to accelerate environmental protection and raise awareness on addressing climate change crises, conserving biodiversity and tackling pollution.
Speaking at the Nairobi Arboretum CS Duale, emphasised on the government commitment to combat environmental degradation to ensure every Kenyan lived in a cleaner environment. He announced plans to engage over 20,000 young people in an extensive clean-up of Nairobi River (including the section passing through the arboretum) over the next 18 months, to restore the river to its former glory.
The day was established after the Public Holidays Act was amended on, on 24th April 2024, to convert Utamaduni Day to Mazingira Day, to be observed as a national holiday on 10th of October every year.” The day seeks to complement government efforts towards environmental protection and conservation.
PRESIDENT KENYATTA ON A NAIROBI ARBORETUM TOUR
President Uhuru Kenyatta toured Nairobi Arboretum on June 5, 2020, to mark World Environment Day, observed on the 5th of June every year, and has been celebrated for the last 45 years.
President Kenyatta promised to expand the number and size of conservancies, arboreta, parks and wildlife reserves to ensure the country’s botanical and zoological diversity is maintained. “We are also reclaiming our Ngong Forest and we are going to start the process of fencing it and ensuring that it is also available not only for the present but for future generations. “We have done in the last one month another 2,000 acres for Nairobi National Park and this is what we want to continue doing including restoration of various green areas among them rehabilitation of City Park,” the President stated.
As part of the Government’s conservation agenda, the President said all major infrastructure projects including the Standard Gauge Railway are being implemented in a manner that ensures that biodiversity is not tampered with. “As a Government, we have also taken steps to ensure that the infrastructure projects being implemented, which are a key driver of economic growth, do not cause any degradation to our natural habitats and biodiversity,” President Kenyatta said. He urged Kenyans to emulate the late Professor Wangari Maathai’s passion and achievements in the conservation of the environment. He underscored the key role forests play as a reservoir of biodiversity, adding that Kenya is on course to achieving the 10 percent national tree cover target.
During the event, the Head of State led government and private sector representatives in a tree planting exercise to commemorate this year’s World Environment Day.
He also witnessed the ground-breaking for the development of a borehole that will assist in the setting up of a one million tree nursery in the park.
The President called for closer cooperation between government entities, the private sector and local communities saying such collaborations have enabled Kenya to register a fall in wildlife poaching incidents, illegal logging and human-wildlife conflicts. Commending on the conservation projects being undertaken in Nairobi County, the President urged Governor Mike Sonko to work very closely with the Nairobi Metropolitan Service team led by Major General Mohamed Badi so as to ensure quick turnaround of the interventions.
In his speech, the KFS Board Chairman Mr Peter Kinyua noted the work being undertaken to increase tree cover to 10 percent by 2022 whereby over five million trees have been planted countrywide in the last two months.
He commended various partners for contributing to tree growing and forest conservation and thanked Athi Water Works Development Agency for drilling the borehole. The Chief Conservator of Forests Mr. Julius Kamau committed to leading the Service in securing all public forests and increasing green spaces including Hon John Michuki Memorial Park, Ngong Road Forest among others.
Presents were Environment Principal Secretary Dr. Chris Kiptoo, KFS Board Chairman Peter Kinyua, the Chief Conservator of Forests Julius Kamau, Nairobi Governor Mike, Sonko, European Union Ambassador Simion Mordue, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott and the Ambassador of Finland Eric Lindberg, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa, Nairobi Metropolitan Services Director General Mohamed Badi among others
The Chief Conservator of Forests visits Arboretum
June 15 2019
Yesterday the Chief Conservator of Forests Julius Kamau visited the Nairobi Arboretum, which is managed by Kenya Forest Service and got a technical brief from the Forester in charge, Mrs Salome Angaine. Nairobi Arboretum is an ideal recreational forest that hosts a wide range of tree species that attract thousands of Nairobi residents. The Service intends to support similar arboretums and parks in major urban centres countrywide.
Kenya Forest Service Board Chairman inspects Arboretum projects
February 5, 2021
The Kenya Forest Service Board Chairman Mr. Peter Kinyua together with the Chief Conservator of Forests Mr. Julius Kamau have led a team of stakeholders in a tour of ongoing works to spruce up the Nairobi Arboretum. Mr. Kinyua observed that the works were timely and will transform the Arboretum into a more exciting green space for visitors.
The works include paving main walkways in the park, and construction of an ablution block. Once complete, the paths will easily be accessible particularly for children and physically challenged visitors. The CCF, Mr. Kamau pointed out the value of partnerships noting that they are essential in meeting conservation goals for current and future generations. He said the Service is keen to duplicate gains made in the Nairobi Arboretum green space in forests countrywide. Stakeholders in the visit included Cyrill Siree and (UNEP), Richard Kirundi (Rotary Kenya)
The 2022 StanChart Nairobi Marathon warm-up race launch
July 2 2022
Kenya Forest Service is glad to have today hosted the warm-up race to launch the 2022 StanChart Nairobi Marathon at the Nairobi Arboretum Park. David Chege (KFS, Head Forest Information System) represented the Chief Conservator of Forests Julius Kamau, EBS, finishing third in the Men’s 2.5km category. He also participated in the issuance of tree seedlings to all event participants, a move geared towards promoting an individual tree planting culture among the general public.
During his remarks, the Standard Chartered Bank CEO Kariuki Ngari pointed out the organization’s target to have 25,000 competitors in this year’s edition which will translate to planting 25,000 trees to signify each participants involvement. Hosting of the event at the park symbolises the continued commitment between the two organizations in conservation and restoration of green spaces which follows the ground-breaking of a 3-year partnership earlier this year to develop a One Million tree seedling nursery at the park.
