Farmers in Kitui County turn to commercial tree-growing

The policy decision that calls for growing of trees across the country in order to achieve the 15-billion trees goal by 2032 is seeing more farmers in the Arid and Semi Arid Lands counties take on Agro-forestry to take advantage of the policy direction.

In Muti village of Kitui South Sub County of Kitui County a farmer, Jacob Mwanduka who doubles up as the Director of Watershed Ecosystem Conservation (WEC) is single-handedly turning the desolate and sun-baked Mutomo Location into a lush green.

For Mwanduka, getting into old age is a great achievement for those who can escape Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) which is usually the bane of many in developing countries.

He is well aware that as one ages, “opportunities to access funds for sustenance becomes less, once I acquire the senior citizen status, many things change, access to health insurance comes at a higher cost due to the high risk of advanced age,” he offers as he laughs off the whole idea.

In Muti village of Kitui South Sub-county of Kitui County as the sun’s rays hit the ground with baking intensity, surrounded by a landscape covered by imposing granitic tors towering into the clear skies of Mutomo, that literally mock at you, a small oasis of greenery greets you and ushers you into the tree nurseries and the farm on which Mwanduka is practicing commercial tree growing.

While most saw the one-acre piece of land as a wasteland, Mwanduka saw an opportunity to turn the heat, the desolate landscape to his advantage, “I bought this piece of land when it was barely dry and patched, it only had shrubs that grow on the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands,” he says and adds, “there was a lot of dirt and we had to clean it up and begin growing trees on it.”

Mwanduka was keen on turning to agroforestry as a retirement vocation and a source of income knowing fully well that at his age access to health insurance or a monthly income would be a challenge hence turned to commercial tree growing of Melia volkensii or Mukau, “this investment will earn me some good returns,” he offers. He is one among the farmers supported by, the Strengthening Forestry Sector Development and Community Resilience to Climate Change through Sustainable Forest Management and Landscape Restoration SFS-CORECC project, implemented by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

He is upbeat that the over 175 Melia volkensii trees will come in handy once they are ready for harvesting and will add to his family income and wean the Akamba wood carvers who have been raiding Tsavo National Park to poach hardwood which they use to make the much sought after Akamba Carvings.

“My trees will have a ready market to the wood carvers who always go to Tsavo National Park for their supply of hardwood,” he says and adds, “I belief that I will be also helping the government in reducing the number of wood poachers.” Adjacent to the tree farm is the tree nursery that ensures a steady supply of seedlings to those interested in joining the call toward growing 15 billion trees by 2032.

The Kenya Forest Research Institute now sees Kenya’s vast drylands as the next frontier of efforts to green Kenya and aid in achieving the 30 percent tree cover and hence contribute to climate change mitigation by involving farmers engaged in commercial tree growing.

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