Homa Bay County in Kenya is preparing to make history by planting 92,000 tree seedlings in just one hour at the Lambwe Forest Station on October 10. This ambitious effort is part of the national initiative to plant six million seedlings across Kenya during this year’s Mazingira Day celebrations. The county has been selected among 32 counties to participate in the Guinness World Records challenge.
According to County Forest Conservator Sharon Cheluget, Homa Bay will begin mobilisation and environmental restoration activities on October 5 ahead of the main event. Residents, schools, community organisations, and other stakeholders are urged to participate in the preparations and the main event. Their involvement will be critical to Homa Bay’s contribution to the national target. The 92,000 seedlings earmarked for the challenge will comprise cypress trees.
The county will source about 43,000 seedlings locally and obtain the remainder from Kenya Forest Service nurseries in neighbouring Nyanza counties. The one-hour planting exercise will primarily involve trained National Youth Service personnel. Students and members of the public will participate in preparatory activities, including clearing the site and digging planting holes. More than 30 stakeholders recently met in Homa Bay to coordinate preparations and mobilise communities for the celebrations.
Beyond the record tree-planting bid, organisers are targeting the restoration of more than 200 hectares of land across Homa Bay as part of the Mazingira Day build-up activities. The restoration programme will target wetlands, schools, farms, and areas along the Sondu Miriu and Tende rivers. Bamboo and vetiver grass will be planted to help reduce the impact of flooding.
Environmentalists have also called for greater community involvement to ensure that the trees planted survive beyond the celebrations. Environmentalist Willis Omullo emphasized that the tree-planting campaign should not be left to the national and county governments alone. He urged communities to take ownership of environmental restoration efforts.
Omullo said the initiative would contribute to Kenya’s national target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032. It will also help Homa Bay address climate-related challenges. He stressed that stakeholders must focus not only on planting trees but also on ensuring their survival. Government departments, community forest associations, beach management units, and other groups all have a role to play in this effort.
The success of the October 10 event will be measured not only by the number of seedlings planted during the one-hour challenge but also by the survival of trees planted across the county as part of the wider environmental restoration. Homa Bay is particularly vulnerable to flooding during rainy seasons and periods of low rainfall. Increasing forest cover and restoring degraded areas could strengthen the county’s resilience to such climate-related disasters.
Key points
- Homa Bay aims to plant 92,000 tree seedlings in one hour.
- The initiative aims to contribute to Kenya's goal of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.
- The effort also targets the restoration of over 200 hectares of land across Homa Bay.
