KICD expands school-based conservation drive to 15 counties

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has planted more than 2,000 tree seedlings in Kisumu County in collaboration with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), bringing its cumulative achievement to over 210,000 trees planted in more than 270 learning institutions across 15 counties since 2020. The exercise reinforces the Institute's commitment to environmental conservation and its efforts to integrate sustainability into the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

The exercise, held on Monday, October 12, 2026, at Joel Omino Secondary School, Joel Omino Comprehensive School and Tom Mboya Labour College, was aligned with the Mazingira Day tree-planting initiative. Kisumu is the latest county to benefit from the programme, which seeks to cultivate a culture of tree growing and environmental stewardship among learners, educators and communities.

Speaking during the exercise on behalf of KICD Chief Executive Officer Charles Ong'ondo, Subira Neema, Deputy Director, Secondary Education, said the initiative provides an opportunity to translate curriculum-based environmental awareness into practical action while contributing to the national tree-growing campaign.

"The initiative complements the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum by nurturing environmental responsibility among learners and integrating sustainability as a pertinent and contemporary issue in teaching and learning. By engaging learners in tree growing, we are helping them appreciate their role in conserving the environment and building a sustainable future," Neema said.

She was accompanied by Winrose Rono, Deputy Director, Pre-Primary and Primary Education; Hellen Inyega, World Bank Consultant; Robert Kamau of the Teachers Service Commission; Jane Njue, Deputy Director, Curriculum Research, Monitoring and Evaluation; Beatrice Kyule, Deputy Director, Knowledge Management; Samuel Obudho, Deputy Director, Technical Studies and Applied Sciences; Kenya Forest Service officers; other KICD staff; teachers; and learners.

Beyond increasing tree cover, KICD is promoting the planting of fruit trees in learning institutions to combine environmental conservation with improved learner nutrition, giving learners access to fresh fruits containing essential vitamins, minerals and fibre while supporting healthy eating habits and dietary diversity. The Institute's approach seeks to make environmental conservation meaningful to learners by linking classroom learning with activities that benefit their schools and surrounding communities.

The programme aligns with the Ministry of Education Circular Ref. MOE.DLS/12/25 dated March 22, 2024, which directs State agencies and government institutions in the education sector to support the national tree-growing campaign. The Government of Kenya targets growing 15 billion trees by 2032 as part of efforts to increase national tree cover, combat climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reverse deforestation and restore 5.1 million hectares of degraded and deforested land, and KICD has incorporated tree growing into its annual Financial Year Performance Contract to strengthen its contribution to this national agenda. In addition to activities in schools, KICD encourages every staff member to plant at least 50 tree seedlings at home or in a nearby or former primary or secondary school to extend the conservation effort into communities.

Neema called on school administrations, learners and surrounding communities to take responsibility for the planted seedlings to ensure their survival and long-term benefits. "The success of tree growing is measured not only by the number of seedlings planted but also by the number that survive and mature. We encourage schools and communities to nurture these trees and make environmental conservation a shared responsibility," she said.

Since the programme began in 2020, KICD has supported tree-growing activities in Nairobi, Machakos, Kitui, Kajiado, Kisii, Nyamira, Uasin Gishu, Nakuru, Homa Bay, Nandi, Siaya, Embu, Murang'a and Kiambu counties, and with the inclusion of Kisumu, the initiative now covers 15 counties. During the 2026/2027 Financial Year, the Institute targets to plant 45,000 tree seedlings and work with learners and school administrations to ensure the seedlings are properly maintained and nurtured to maturity.

The Institute's tree-growing programme forms part of the National Tree Planting Campaign under the Presidential Programme for the Accelerated Restoration of Forests and Rangelands. Through the initiative, KICD continues to promote practical environmental conservation while nurturing environmentally conscious, engaged, empowered and ethical citizens.