NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 3 – Experts have urged the government to enforce stricter laws to curb indiscriminate tree cutting, warning that the trend could trigger prolonged droughts and disrupt rainfall patterns.
According to Professor Peter Kirira, Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Administration, Planning, and Institutional Advancement (APIA), deforestation is already affecting rainfall patterns, causing irregular rainfall and raising concerns about food security and water shortages.
He said Kenyans should take responsibility for tree planting, especially during critical rainy seasons, to protect the environment.
His sentiments were echoed by Tabitha Ooko, a pharmacist, who stressed that stricter laws are essential to curb illegal logging and urged people to make tree planting a personal habit, even during birthdays, to safeguard the environment.
Michael Mungoma, Dean of the School of Pharmacy, highlighted the importance of educating the public on sustainable practices and integrating environmental conservation into school curricula to equip learners with knowledge on responsible natural resource management.
Experts warned that without immediate action, the country risks long-term environmental and economic consequences, including prolonged droughts and irregular rainfall that threaten both food and water security.
The event, themed “Growing a Living Herbarium for Learning, Research and Environmental Stewardship”, brought together students and student doctors to plant hundreds of medicinal and fruit trees, including Hass avocado, oranges, and mangoes, which experts say support forest conservation and promote natural medicine production.
Alumnus Njoroge Kanyua, a pharmacist, noted that these trees are used to treat various illnesses, making medicines more accessible, and urged Kenyans to avoid indiscriminate cutting while caring for the environment as a lasting legacy for future generations.
The exercise highlighted the crucial role of community participation in environmental conservation, showing that every tree planted today contributes to securing water, food, and a healthier climate for tomorrow.
Kenya aims to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 as part of its ambitious 10-year climate restoration plan, but the number of seedlings actually established so far falls far short of this target.
The campaign, launched in December 2022 by President William Ruto, seeks to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes and raise national tree cover to 30 per cent.
Systemic gaps in survival tracking and verification mean the real progress on the ground remains uncertain.
Data from the JazaMiti app the official digital platform for recording tree planting shows 738 million trees logged, compared with 1.06 billion reported by the Presidency in early 2025.
Experts warn these figures largely capture planting activity rather than whether seedlings survive to maturity.
“We may walk to 2032 with the statistics on paper or on the app. But when you go to the ground it [is] different,” said Ambrose Genga, Partnerships Officer at the Kenya Forest Service (KFS).
Tracking survival has proved especially challenging along highways and open public spaces, where seedlings are often trampled or fail due to neglect.