Kenya's 15 Billion Tree Plan Takes Aim at the World's Overlooked Landscapes

Kenya, June 17 ,2026 - Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has called for urgent international action to halt land degradation and restore rangelands, saying the crisis threatens billions of livelihoods and undermines food security.

Officiating the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought in Vipingo, Kilifi County, Kindiki said rangelands are a critical yet under-recognized global resource.

“Globally, rangelands cover more than half of the Earth’s land surface and support nearly two billion people, including over 500 million pastoralists,” the DP said.

In Kenya, he noted, the stakes are even higher. “Rangelands occupy 80% of the country’s land mass and support millions of livelihoods through livestock production, tourism, biodiversity conservation, trade and cultural activities.”

Kindiki warned that continued degradation of these ecosystems is deepening vulnerability to drought, fueling conflict over resources, and eroding community resilience. He stressed that solutions must be global and coordinated.

“There is urgent need for global solutions to land degradation, drought resilience and ecosystem restoration in the rangelands to protect livelihoods,” he said.

The Deputy President tied Kenya’s response directly to the National Programme to plant and nurture 15 billion trees by 2032. He said the initiative is central to national restoration efforts.

“The National Programme to plant and nurture 15 billion trees by the year 2032 will go a long way to restore vast components of our rangelands,” Kindiki stated.

The Vipingo event drew high-level participation, including the Director General of UNEP and the Secretary General of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry in a statement to mark the event ,said the global focus on Kenya underscores the country’s leadership role. It cited recent talks between CS Deborah Barasa and UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad that affirmed Kenya’s readiness to lead, backed by advanced early warning systems and strategic roadmaps.

The Ministry added that the 15B tree initiative is being rolled out predominantly across Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, turning policy into “tangible, ground-level resilience” and offering a model for Africa.