The degradation of more than 96 million acres of Kenya's land is costing the country about $1.3 billion (KSh 167.7 billion) a year, The Star reported, citing the latest government statistics. The losses stem from declining soil health, reduced water supplies and shrinking ecosystem services.
Degraded land steadily loses its ability to grow crops, hold water and sustain nature. According to the report, the effects include soil erosion, weaker watersheds and greater exposure to droughts and floods. About 88.6 per cent of Kenya's land is reported to be at risk of degradation. That risk deepens poverty, food insecurity and climate vulnerability.
In response, the State Department for Forestry has launched the Kenya Watershed Services Improvement Project (KEWASIP). The World Bank is financing the five-year programme, worth $200 million (KSh 26 billion). It covers five priority landscapes: Marsabit, Marmanet, Nyambene Hills, Chyulu Hills and Shimba Hills. The 12 counties involved are Marsabit, Isiolo, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Laikipia, Samburu, Baringo, Makueni, Kitui, Garissa, Tana River and Kwale.
The project aims to produce 240 million tree seedlings. Of these, 220 million will be indigenous and 20 million agroforestry seedlings. It will also support 10 tree-crop value chains and seeks to rehabilitate 200,000 hectares over five years. The Star reported that the project should benefit about 750,000 people. Project documents, however, put the figure at close to one million. Community groups that manage natural resources, nature-based businesses and marginalised communities are the priority beneficiaries.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa said forests, water towers, rivers and wetlands were central to national development. She described degradation as "not merely a conservation concern; it is an economic and development challenge." She said restoring land would take more than planting trees. Restoration must also tackle the root causes and create jobs and income for communities.
Forestry Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi called for the project to start immediately and for prudent use of the funds. Kenya Forestry Research Institute chief executive Jane Njuguna said the institute was ready to supply technology. She added that communities needed training. Kenya Forest Service Chief Conservator Alex Lemarkoko asked development partners for more resources, saying seed propagation was expensive.
The project falls under the government's 15 billion tree-growing programme. That programme aims to raise national tree cover to 30 per cent by 2032. A national restoration strategy for 2025-2032 sets out a framework for restoring 10.6 million hectares. The government says meeting these targets will require national and county governments, communities and partners to work together.