Kenya Rallies to Restore Mount Elgon as Ministry Hosts Mt. Elgon Day 2025 Breakfast Meeting
By Peace Muthoka.
The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry this morning hosted the Mt. Elgon Day 2025 Breakfast Meeting at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi, to rally national action toward the restoration of one of Kenya’s key water towers.
The event, presided over by Cabinet Secretary Dr. Deborah M. Barasa, brought together top government officials, development partners, and conservation stakeholders. She was joined by Principal Secretaries Gitonga Mugambi (Forestry), Dr. Eng. Festus K. Ng’eno (Environment and Climate Change), and Harry Kimtai (Mining), who emphasized the importance of collective efforts in saving the Mount Elgon ecosystem.
Mount Elgon, straddling the border between Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties, supports millions of lives through its rivers, forests, and fertile lands. However, deforestation, encroachment, and unsustainable land use have increasingly threatened this vital resource.
The Ministry announced that Mt. Elgon Day will officially be commemorated on November 7 each year — a symbolic step under a 10-year programme aimed at rehabilitating more than 103,000 hectares of degraded forest and farmland. The initiative, patronised by PS Harry Kimtai, seeks to plant 10 million trees annually while empowering local communities to take a central role in restoring the ecosystem.
Speaking at the meeting, PS Dr. Eng. Festus Ng’eno underscored that Mount Elgon is not just an ecological asset but also a lifeline of biodiversity, culture, and heritage. “This precious landscape sustains millions through its forests, farmlands, and rivers, but it is under threat. Restoring it is restoring life,” he said.
The Mt. Elgon Restoration Initiative forms part of Kenya’s 15 Billion Trees Campaign (2022–2032) and aligns with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), linking environmental conservation to improved livelihoods and climate resilience.
PS Kimtai outlined that the programme will coordinate multi-sectoral action, combining forestry, mining, and community empowerment efforts to ensure sustainable land use and inclusive growth. “As we have seen through the Mau Forest Complex programme, collaboration is key. Conservation must go hand in hand with livelihood improvement,” he noted.
Dr. Barasa commended the multi-agency approach, urging all Kenyans to take part in ecosystem restoration. “Protecting Mount Elgon is a national duty. Together, we can make it thrive again for future generations,” she said.
The meeting set the stage for next week’s official Mt. Elgon Day celebrations, marking a renewed national commitment to restoring Kenya’s critical water towers and safeguarding the country’s natural heritage.
