BUNGOMA COUNTY COMMUNITY TREE NURSERIES DRIVE PROGRESS TOWARDS KENYA'S 15BILLION TREE TARGET.

Bungoma County is making significant strides in advancing Kenya’s national tree-growing agenda through community-led tree nursery initiatives that are restoring degraded landscapes, creating sustainable livelihoods and strengthening climate resilience under the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Programme.

During a briefing at the Bungoma County Government offices, county forestry officials, representatives from the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), the National Restoration Agency (NRA) and the State Department for Forestry reviewed progress towards the county’s restoration and tree-growing targets. Bungoma County aims to plant 19.3 million trees over a ten-year period and has already planted 18.7 million trees within the first three years of implementation, demonstrating strong momentum towards achieving its restoration goals.

The meeting emphasized the importance of sustaining these gains through enhanced community participation, strategic partnerships and continued investment in locally led climate action initiatives.

To assess implementation on the ground, the delegation visited several FLLoCA-supported community tree nurseries across the county.

At the Tukibi Youth Group Nursery in Kamaiti Ward, Bumula Sub-county, members currently manage approximately 20,000 seedlings, with the capacity to produce up to 100,000 seedlings. The nursery grows timber, fruit and ornamental tree species that support ecosystem restoration while generating household income for members. Through FLLoCA support, the group has received water storage facilities, fencing materials, wheelbarrows, gumboots, a shade-net structure and technical training, significantly improving nursery operations. Members have also been trained on the Jaza Miti App, enabling them to monitor and report tree-growing activities.

The team also visited the Obwaka Tree Nursery in Tutimarakaru Ward, Kanduyi Sub-county, where 10,000 grevillea seedlings are ready for distribution to farmers and local communities to support tree-growing efforts.

At the Sirenga Community Based Organization in Bukembe East Ward, a 45-member group manages approximately 11,000 seedlings, with the capacity to produce up to 25,000 seedlings. Support provided through FLLoCA, including water infrastructure, fencing and nursery tools, has enhanced production capacity and improved the quality of seedlings produced.

The delegation further toured the Chachamua Tree Nursery, a youth-led enterprise that combines environmental conservation with entrepreneurship and skills development. The nursery has already sold more than 7,000 seedlings while providing training in grafting, nursery management and tree planting techniques. Investments in a solar-powered water pump, water storage facilities, shade-net structures and technical capacity building have strengthened the enterprise, creating employment opportunities for youth and women while promoting sustainable livelihoods.

The field visits demonstrated that community tree nurseries are playing an increasingly important role in driving environmental restoration and socio-economic transformation across Bungoma County. Beyond producing quality seedlings, the initiatives are generating income, creating employment opportunities, empowering local communities and restoring degraded landscapes while strengthening resilience to climate change.

As Kenya continues implementing the 15 Billion Trees Programme, Bungoma County’s community nursery model illustrates how grassroots action, supported by strategic partnerships and targeted investments under the FLLoCA Programme, can translate national environmental commitments into measurable restoration outcomes and long-term community benefits.