LBDA to Distribute 20,000 Fruit Tree Seedlings in Lake Basin Ahead of Mazingira Day

KISUMU, Kenya, Oct 9 – The Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) will distribute more than 20,000 fruit tree seedlings to communities across the Lake Basin region as the government steps up efforts to increase Kenya’s tree cover.

The initiative will support President William Ruto’s national tree-growing programme and encourage residents to participate in environmental conservation ahead of Mazingira Day, observed on October 10.

Speaking during a visit to LBDA in Kisumu, Dr Caroline Karugu, Principal Secretary for the East African Community and Acting Principal Secretary for Arid, Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development, said the seedlings would be distributed through the offices of county commissioners.

“The Lake Basin Development Authority will be donating seedlings to the residents of this county and the Lake Basin region through the office of the county commissioners,” Karugu said.

She said the authority had prioritised fruit trees because their direct nutritional and economic benefits could encourage households to plant and nurture the seedlings.

“We will be donating over 20,000 fruit seedlings because we know that it’s easier to take care of a fruit seedling because it has a direct benefit onto you,” she said.

The distribution is expected to encourage greater community participation in tree growing while providing households with trees that can contribute to food security and generate income.

The initiative forms part of the government’s broader campaign to plant and grow 15 billion trees by 2032, with the aim of increasing Kenya’s tree cover to 30 per cent.

Karugu said LBDA’s contribution was intended to support the President’s call for Kenyans to take an active role in restoring the country’s tree and forest cover.

“And so we will be donating to just plug into the rallying call of His Excellency the President of us as a republic to grow our tree cover, tree and forest cover in the Republic of Kenya,” she said.

The national campaign seeks to mobilise government agencies, county administrations, communities and other stakeholders to participate in environmental restoration.

The government has also emphasised that the programme should focus on growing trees to maturity rather than simply planting seedlings, making their survival and long-term care critical to achieving the national target.

LBDA’s decision to distribute fruit seedlings is intended to link environmental conservation with direct benefits for households.

Beyond contributing to tree cover, fruit trees can provide families with food and create opportunities to earn income from the sale of produce once the trees mature.

Karugu said the government’s development initiatives were intended to deliver tangible benefits to communities.

“Everything that we do, we do to ensure that we are creating direct impact to communities,” she said.

The programme is expected to give residents in the Lake Basin region an opportunity to contribute to national environmental goals while benefiting from the trees planted in their homes and communities.

The distribution comes ahead of Mazingira Day on October 10, an annual occasion dedicated to environmental conservation and public participation in activities such as tree planting and growing.

The day provides an opportunity for communities and institutions to support environmental restoration through practical initiatives aimed at improving the country’s natural environment.

Through the planned distribution, LBDA seeks to strengthen local participation in the national tree-growing campaign and encourage residents to take responsibility for the seedlings they receive.

Beneficiaries will be expected to plant and nurture the trees, supporting the broader effort to increase Kenya’s tree cover, improve household livelihoods and promote sustainable communities.

The initiative adds to government efforts to make tree growing a community-driven undertaking, with the long-term success of the national programme depending on the survival and growth of seedlings planted across the country.