KITENGELA, Kenya In the dry heat of Kitengela, the unlikely sight of prisoners, public officials and environmentalists digging side by side marked a quiet but powerful shift.
More than 3,500 trees were planted at Kitengela GK Prison on Tuesday as part of a growing national effort to combat climate change. The exercise brought together the National Heroes Council, the Kenya Prisons Service and local environmental champions.
The initiative falls under President William Ruto’s nationwide campaign to grow 15 billion trees by 2032 an ambitious plan aimed at reversing years of deforestation and helping the country meet its climate targets.
“We want our heroes to stay active in the community,” said Charles Wambia, CEO of the National Heroes Council, who led the planting effort. “They should not only be remembered, but seen playing a part in national goals like reforestation.”
Wambia emphasized that environmental conservation is a recognised category of national honors a nod to the growing role of eco-activism in shaping Kenya’s future.
Prison officials say the exercise is part of a broader transformation within correctional facilities.
“We’re turning unused land into forest,” said Stephen Kemey, the officer in charge at Kitengela Prison. “This is one of many projects we’ve launched to green our spaces and contribute to the national vision.”
Kemey noted that prisons have vast areas of idle land that could be put to good use not just for growing trees, but for rehabilitating inmates through structured environmental work.
The project drew support from local administrators as well. Area Assistant County Commissioner Crisps Mwadzoya, who joined in the planting, said community leaders must step up if the country is to reach its goal of 10 percent forest cover by 2032.
“We cannot sit back and expect Nairobi to do it all,” Mwadzoya said. “It starts with us in our schools, prisons, and villages.”
Kenya’s forest cover stood at just over 8.8 percent in 2023, according to the Ministry of Environment. Deforestation, often driven by charcoal production and illegal logging, has left large areas of the country vulnerable to drought and flooding.
But there are signs of change. Across the country, schools, religious groups, and government departments have started hosting regular tree planting events. In some cases, the push has brought unlikely allies together as it did in Kitengela.
For the prisoners involved, the day offered more than just time outdoors. Some said they welcomed the chance to contribute to something meaningful.
“We want to give back,” said one inmate, who asked not to be named. “These trees will be here long after we’re gone.”
As the sun dipped over the horizon, the newly planted seedlings stood in neat rows quiet, hopeful symbols of a country striving to heal its land, one tree at a time.
