Trans Nzoia County has unveiled an ambitious climate literacy campaign aimed at restoring the county’s environmental health and strengthening community participation in climate action, with a five-day programme scheduled for August 17–21.
The initiative will bring together schools, communities, conservation groups, government agencies and development partners for climate education, tree planting, environmental awareness and conservation activities as the county intensifies efforts to reverse the effects of climate change that have affected agricultural productivity.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County Executive Committee Member for Water, Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change Robert Wamaluwa said the county intends to position itself as a leader in environmental conservation.
“Our goal is to make Trans Nzoia the centre of excellence in environmental action,” Wamaluwa said, adding that the August programme will bring together environmental champions and stakeholders to strengthen climate action across the county.
He said Trans Nzoia’s forest cover currently stands at about 16 per cent and disclosed that the county has so far planted more than 1.3 million trees, with a target of reaching one million additional trees by the end of the year.
Community Integrated Strategies for Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CISCA) Founder Dorcas Wamalwa said the campaign would go beyond tree planting by promoting climate literacy among learners and communities.
“This coming August 17th to 21st, we are partnering with the Trans Nzoia County Government to bring climate literacy in schools as well as climate literacy in communities,” she said.
According to Wamalwa, the programme will feature a climate parade, a tree-planting marathon and peer-to-peer learning sessions bringing together students from across Kenya to exchange ideas on climate resilience.
She noted that climate change has significantly affected Trans Nzoia’s agricultural sector.
“Trans Nzoia used to be the breadbasket of Kenya, but right now it is no longer known as the breadbasket of Kenya because climate degradation has hit the county very hard in food production, soil degradation and flooding. It is important to restore our pride,” she said.
Assistant County Commissioner for Central Division Kennedy Asembo urged residents to participate in the campaign, saying environmental conservation remains a shared responsibility between the national and county governments.
He said the national government continues to implement the President’s Chief Climate Action Day, held on the first Friday of every month, as part of the national target of growing 15 billion trees by 2032.
Asembo said Trans Nzoia has planted nearly nine million trees since 2023 and is working towards a target of 30 million trees, largely through partnerships with institutions including the Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Prisons Service and other public and private organisations.
Responding to concerns over illegal occupation of public land, Asembo said the government has reclaimed several parcels and is pursuing legal processes to recover more land, including property belonging to the Kitale National Polytechnic, museums and other public institutions.
“We’ve been able to repossess various public lands that were grabbed, although prolonged court cases remain a major challenge,” he said.
The International Crane Foundation also joined the initiative, with conservation officer Vivian Kitui saying the organisation will use the campaign to launch crane conservation activities in Trans Nzoia.
“We are not doing crane conservation for the sake of the birds. Cranes are an indicator species of wetland health. When we see cranes in Trans Nzoia County, it means our wetlands are healthy. When we don’t see them, it means something is wrong with our wetlands,” she said.
The August campaign is expected to unite government agencies, conservation organisations, schools, farmers and local communities in promoting sustainable environmental practices and building resilience against climate change across Trans Nzoia County.
