Nairobi: To mark this year’s Ushirika Day celebrations, the local Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs) have embarked on a tree planting initiative as part of their corporate social responsibility to preserve the environment. The initiative comes ahead of the annual celebrations to be marked on 12th July in Nairobi, under the theme ‘Driving Inclusive and Sustainable Solutions for a Better World.’

According to Kenya News Agency, members of the SACCOs in the capital came out in large numbers over the weekend to plant trees as one of a series of activities the cooperative movement has lined up before the commemoration of the day. This year’s Ushirika is also significant following the UN General Assembly’s resolution last year, proclaiming that 2025 will be the International Year of Cooperatives.

Speaking during a tree-planting exercise at Nairobi’s Jamhuri Park, Ms. Priscilla Maranga, representing the Cooperative Commissioners Office, highlighted the cooperative principle of concern for the community, emphasizing the societies’ role in sustainable community development. She remarked on the long-term impact of tree planting as part of the cooperative movement’s environmental efforts.

Director of Cooperatives, Nairobi County, Delphine Aremo, encouraged young people to engage in tree planting early, emphasizing the long-term benefits. Vincent Marangu, Director of the Co-operatives Banking Division, noted that every tree planted contributes to carbon reduction and environmental sustainability, aligning with the cooperative movement’s long-term vision.

Florence Nasila from the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) praised the tree-planting event as a crucial contribution to nature’s preservation. She emphasized the legacy of environmental stewardship for future generations, reinforcing the message that “Green is life.”

This initiative by the cooperative movement aligns with Kenya’s policy to increase forest cover, aiming to plant at least 15 billion trees by 2032.