Mr. Gitonga Mugambi, CBS, is a Distinguished Agronomist and seasoned public servant with over 31 years of experience in agriculture, irrigation development, natural resource management, and public sector leadership.
He currently serves as the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Forestry, where he provides strategic leadership in sustainable forest management, ecosystem restoration, and national climate action. He is spearheading the implementation of Kenya’s ambitious 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme, mobilizing both public and private sector partnerships to accelerate tree growing and landscape restoration across the country.
Mr. Mugambi guided the approval of the National Forest Policy 2023, replacing the 1968 policy and ushering in a new era of participatory and private-sector-driven forestry management. He is also leading key legislative and regulatory reforms, including amendments to the Forest Conservation and Management Act (2016), to strengthen governance and resource mobilization.
He has overseen the development and rollout of several transformative national frameworks and strategies, including the Kenya National Bamboo Development Strategy and Action Plan, the National Commercial Forestry Strategy, the National Agroforestry Strategy, the Kenya Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring Framework, the National Strategy and Action Plan for Control of Prosopis juliflora (Mathenge), and the Kenya Industrial Wood Sector Vision 2050. He also led the launch of Africa’s first national REDD+ Registry, strengthening transparency, carbon market readiness, and climate financing opportunities. Through the Ecosystem Restoration Programme, he is steering efforts to increase Kenya’s tree cover from 12.3% to 30% by 2032, positioning forestry as a pillar of green growth and sustainable livelihoods.
Through the Ecosystem Restoration Programme, he is steering efforts to increase Kenya’s tree cover from 12.3% to 30% by 2032, while championing the National Agroforestry Strategy to support climate-smart agriculture and rural livelihoods.
Prior to his appointment in forestry, Mr. Mugambi served as Principal Secretary for Irrigation and earlier as Chief Executive Officer of the National Irrigation Authority. In these roles, he led transformative irrigation expansion programmes that increased the national area under irrigation from 365,000 to 551,000 acres. He was instrumental in implementing the Irrigation Act 2019 and overseeing the transition to the National Irrigation Authority, strengthening participatory irrigation management and institutional efficiency.
His leadership in national food production programmes directly and indirectly benefited an estimated 1.2 million households, while contributing significantly to agricultural productivity and economic growth.
Mr. Mugambi’s career represents a unique convergence of agricultural expertise, water resource management, and environmental stewardship. His leadership continues to shape Kenya’s path toward food security, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable development.