Coastal ecosystems continue to play a vital role in supporting communities by providing significant social and economic benefits. Conserving these ecosystems is essential in protecting livelihoods, enhancing food security and building resilience against the adverse effects of climate change. Safeguarding the coastal environment is therefore critical to sustaining life and livelihoods.
As part of the ongoing environmental conservation efforts, the Kenya Defence Forces on 23 May 2026 conducted a large-scale mangrove growing exercise at Tsunza, along Dongo Kundu Bypass. During the exercise, 150,000 mangrove seedlings were planted to help restore degraded coastal ecosystems and promote climate resilience.
The initiative brought together various stakeholders, including Equity Bank, Furaha and Baraka Farms Limited, Absa Life, Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Coast Forest Conservancy Association as well as members of the local community. Their participation reflected a collective commitment towards environmental sustainability and the protection of coastal resources.
Speaking during the event, KDF Commanders highlighted the importance of mangrove forests to coastal communities, noting that they play a key role in preventing shoreline erosion, protecting communities against storms and providing breeding habitats for fish that support local livelihoods. They added that Mangroves are not ordinary trees; they are guardians of the coastline. They protect our shores from erosion, buffer our communities against storms and serve as nurseries for fish that sustain the livelihoods of local fishermen. In short, when mangroves thrive, the people thrive.
The initiative reflects the Kenya Defence Forces’ ongoing commitment to environmental conservation through collaborative partnerships aimed at preserving coastal ecosystems for the benefit of present and future generations. Conducted under the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy, the exercise also supports the country’s goal of planting over 15 billion trees by 2032.
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