By Hassan Wekesa - Editor
Kenya, 12 October 2026 – Kenya’s military on Monday joined institutions and community groups in efforts to conserve, protect and restore natural ecosystems, two days after the country marked Mazingira Day on 10 October 2026.
In a press release, military officials said the Joint Command and Staff College (JCSC) in Karen had joined Thogoto Teachers Training College, the Nairobi Rivers Commission, Friends of Ondiri Wetland Kenya, the Thogoto community, neighbouring schools and other stakeholders in a tree-planting exercise to mark the occasion.
The tree planting and clean-up activities at Thogoto Teachers Training College were led by the JCSC Commandant, Major General Eric Kinuthia, and the college’s Chief Principal, Margaret Khainga.
Also present were the Chief Executive Officer of the Nairobi Rivers Commission, Brigadier (Rtd) Joseph Muracia; the Coordinator of Friends of Ondiri Wetland Kenya, David Wakogy; and officers from the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), among others.
Participants included the college leadership, faculty and staff, and members of Course 42-2026/27, alongside students, community members and partner organisations.
Commandant Kinuthia thanked Thogoto TTC, the partners and the local community for welcoming JCSC into the tree-planting and growing initiative.
“Environmental conservation is not a seasonal activity but a shared, everyday responsibility,” he said.
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The college’s efforts were guided by the 2026 Mazingira Day theme, “Our Environment, Our Responsibility: Collective Action for Tree Growing and Environmental Stewardship.”
The initiative rested on the principle that a secure nation depends on a healthy environment that sustains its people, its resources and future generations.
The military’s active participation in protecting and restoring natural ecosystems demonstrates that true national security extends beyond defending territory to safeguarding the environment as a whole.
Trans Nzoia County hosted the national celebrations on Saturday, where the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Deborah Barasa Mlongo, thanked all Kenyans who turned up.
Kenya aims to plant 15 billion trees to conserve the environment and protect its forest cover. More than 2.22 billion trees have been planted so far.