BY ANGELA R. KIURA
At least 27 young people from Kanyuambora village in Mbeere North Constituency, Embu County, have completed a specialized training on tree planting techniques aimed at restoring degraded land and creating green job opportunities.
The training, conducted under the Green Rising initiative, is a collaborative effort involving the Mount Kenya Landscape Board, Rainforest Alliance, UNICEF Kenya, and the Embu County Government.
According to Grace Joy Gakii, a community mobilizer involved in the project, participants were equipped with practical skills including how to establish tree nurseries, select tree species suited to local climates, and adopt best planting practices to ensure high survival rates.
“This will not only help reclaim degraded land but also create climate resilience and improve livelihoods,” Gakii said.
One of the beneficiaries, Emmanuel Muriithi, said the training would help them overcome past challenges such as high seedling mortality caused by poor planting methods.
Hassan Muriuki, already running a tree seedlings business, welcomed the project, saying it would expand market opportunities and increase income for local youth.
Mount Kenya Landscape Board representative Vera Murugi said the initiative targets to restore more than 100 hectares of land and engage over 1,000 youths in the County within four months.
She encouraged the formation of youth environmental groups to access affordable loans for launching green enterprises.
The initiative supports Kenya’s national goal of planting one million trees annually as part of the larger plan to grow 15 billion trees by 2032.
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