Minet has edged closer to its large scale reforestation effort of planting 500,000 trees in Kenya by 2030, having sowed 20,000 tree seedlings at the Matathia block of the Uplands Forest in Lari Constituency, Kiambu County. This has brought the total number of trees planted by the firm to 46,000 over the past three years, even as it plans to ramp up its annual targets further over the next five years.
The Thursday event marked a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to environmental restoration and sustainable development. It responded to Kenya’s alarming deforestation rates, with the country losing approximately 84,716 hectares of forest and seeing an additional 14,934 hectares degraded annually, as reported by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) in its 2024 Forest Status Report. These environmental losses, driven by logging, charcoal burning, agricultural expansion, and encroachment, are estimated to cost the nation KSh534 billion each year. The losses emerge from the reduced carbon storage capacity of forests, reduced agricultural productivity, and decreased water resources, all leading to lower crop yields, diminished hydropower generation, increased water treatment costs, and a reduction in the carbon sequestration capacity of forests.
Addressing participants during the tree planting drive, Mr. Sammy Muthui, CEO, Minet, emphasized the urgency of reversing the destructive trend.
“The drivers of deforestation are clear, and so are its devastating impacts—from biodiversity loss and soil erosion to food insecurity and climate volatility. This is, therefore, not just an environmental issue, but a humanitarian one and one that requires urgent attention,” he said.
Minet’s reforestation effort aligns with Kenya’s national targets under the Forest Ecosystem Landscape Restoration Strategy, which aims to plant 15 billion trees and restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded land by 2032. It also supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 on protecting, restoring, and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.
In 2023, Minet, a leading risk advisory firm in Kenya, pledged to plant half a million trees by 2030, the landmark year when all SDGs should have been achieved. The organization planted 26,000 trees in 2023, and although efforts paused in 2024 due to a landslide at the intended planting site, activity resumed this year following clearance from KFS.
The 2025 Economic Survey by the Kenyan National Bureau of Statistics reveals a remarkable surge in Kenya’s reforestation efforts, with new areas planted more than doubling to 4,900 hectares in 2024 from 2,400 hectares the year before. Minet’s reforestation efforts are a testament to this national commitment, contributing to the broader goal of enhancing Kenya’s tree cover and combating climate change.
This year’s event saw collaboration with more than 100 local community members, who played a central role in preparing the land and have pledged to nurture the seedlings to maturity, having understood the immense benefits of forest cover. When fully grown, the newly-planted trees will, for example, produce enough oxygen for more than 10,000 people every year and absorb over 440,000Kgs of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts in the region and beyond.
“Sustainable solutions must be community-driven, and that is why, to us, this is not a photo-op but a long-term partnership for change.”
Held under the theme “Contreebuting to a Better World”, the event encapsulated Minet’s belief that each tree planted is a step toward a more resilient, sustainable, and hopeful future.
“Let this not be the end,” the CEO concluded. “Let it be the beginning of more action, more collaboration, and more commitment to Kenya’s forests and future. This is because, when you plant a seedling, you are contributing to a sustainable future and a better world.”
