In a major step toward environmental reclamation, Bomet County has intensified its efforts to restore the degraded Chepalungu Forest, targeting the planting of over 100,000 tree seedlings during the 2026 tree-growing season.

The initiative aims to rehabilitate the forest ecosystem, which suffered severe degradation following extensive human destruction in 2007.

Bomet Governor Prof. Hillary Barchok, during the tree-planting exercise, emphasized that the long-term survival of the forest relies heavily on the surrounding community. He called for strong community ownership in securing and protecting the forest from further encroachment and destruction.

Governor Barchok reaffirmed the County Government’s commitment to environmental conservation, noting that the restoration of Chepalungu Forest is a flagship project in Bomet’s ambitious strategy to enhance its overall county tree cover to 30%.

Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, noted that revitalizing Chepalungu Forest is critical not just for increasing canopy cover, but for restoring biodiversity by bringing back indigenous flora and fauna, enhancing ecological resilience against the harsh impacts of climate change, and securing water conservation as the forest serves as a crucial catchment area for local rivers and streams.

The ongoing exercise is part of a sustained national and county campaign. Since the adoption of the accelerated tree-growing initiative in 2024, over 600,000 tree seedlings have been planted and growing in Chepalungu Forest.

The current 2026 tree-growing season looks to build heavily on this foundation, seeking to plant over 100,000 additional seedlings to seal the remaining degraded gaps.