NAIROBI, July 22, 2026 — The Government has stepped up efforts to attract development partners and private sector investors to finance large-scale forestry restoration projects as it pushes to reverse land degradation, strengthen climate resilience and expand green economic opportunities across the country.
Speaking during the Donor Round Table Breakfast Forum on Forestry Improvement in Nairobi on Wednesday, Principal Secretary for Forestry Gitonga Mugambi said restoring Kenya's degraded landscapes requires strong partnerships beyond government, calling on financiers to invest in projects that promise both environmental and economic returns.
"The restoration agenda cannot be achieved by Government alone. It demands collaboration, innovation and shared responsibility," Mugambi told delegates, noting that the forum was an opportunity to mobilise resources and forge strategic partnerships that will accelerate restoration efforts across Kenya's drylands and coastal ecosystems.
The PS said Kenya's Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), which account for nearly 89 per cent of the country's landmass, remain under increasing pressure from deforestation, invasive species, prolonged droughts and climate change despite their critical role in supporting livelihoods, biodiversity and economic growth.
He said implementation of the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (2023–2032) aims to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded land while supporting the country's target of achieving 30 per cent tree cover by 2032.
Mugambi identified climate-smart agroforestry, green value chain development, invasive species management, mangrove restoration and dryland landscape rehabilitation as priority investment areas capable of generating employment, strengthening food security and improving community resilience.
"We can unlock green investments, create jobs for youth and women, enhance biodiversity and transform degraded landscapes into productive ecosystems that support sustainable livelihoods," he said.
Forest Development Secretary George K. Tarus unveiled four major bankable investment proposals designed to attract donor financing and accelerate restoration efforts while improving incomes for local communities.
Among the flagship initiatives is a Sh3.5 billion Climate Resilience through Agroforestry and Green Value Chain Development Project, which seeks to establish 23 mega tree nurseries across 23 counties, facilitate the planting of 230 million agroforestry trees and strengthen tree-based enterprises.
Tarus said the department is also seeking funding to rehabilitate degraded drylands, restore mangrove ecosystems along the coast and manage the spread of invasive prosopis species, which continue to threaten agricultural productivity and local livelihoods.
Another proposal focuses on restoring 15,000 hectares of land invaded by prosopis over five years through a Sh3.8 billion programme expected to improve rangeland productivity while creating sustainable value chains for affected communities.
The Government is also seeking investment to restore 7,000 hectares of degraded mangrove forests across the five coastal counties through community restoration programmes, mega nurseries and nature-based enterprises expected to generate about 10,000 green jobs.
A fourth proposal targets the restoration of 38,675 hectares of degraded dryland landscapes across 14 ASAL counties through commercial forestry, agroforestry and strengthened community governance systems.
Tarus noted that Kenya's ambitious 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme had already recorded 1.795 billion trees planted or regenerated, bringing the country closer to its target of achieving 30 per cent tree cover by 2032.
He said expanding commercial forestry and alternative green enterprises would reduce pressure on natural forests while creating new sources of income for communities living around forested landscapes.
The forum also heard that the State Department for Forestry is preparing to mark World Bamboo Day and host the National Bamboo Expo in September as part of efforts to promote bamboo as a commercially viable forest resource and a sustainable raw material for green industrial development.
The forum brought together senior government officials, development partners, conservation organisations and private sector stakeholders to explore financing opportunities that could accelerate Kenya's forest restoration agenda while supporting climate action and sustainable economic growth.
