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Forests digest ·
Reports this week describe logging in the Aberdare Forest, felled saplings in Trans Nzoia, court battles over protected forests, and a Nairobi march against developments inside forests.
Planting targets only count if the forests already standing are protected, and this week's reports show promises being tested by chainsaws, courtrooms and public pressure.
According to the report, President William Ruto's plan to grow 15 billion trees by 2032 is facing renewed scrutiny. The doubts follow reports of logging in the Aberdare Forest, the felling of 350 young trees in Trans Nzoia, and legal battles over developments in protected forests. The report says concerns intensified in the week leading to Mazingira Day on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
A planting target loses meaning if mature forest is cut and young trees are destroyed faster than new ones take root.
Source: People Daily — How logging disputes have cast doubt on Ruto’s 15 billion tree-planting target · Oct 11, 2026
Residents and leaders in Nyandarua County have sounded the alarm over logging in the Aberdare Forest, the report says, warning that continued harvesting could threaten water sources and weaken conservation work. The concerns follow reports of tens of lorries moving logs out of the forest. Residents are questioning the scale of the operation and asking for greater involvement, according to the report.
Forests feed the rivers and springs that communities depend on, so losing tree cover can mean losing water as well as habitat.
Source: People Daily — Uproar as lorries ferry logs from Aberdare Forest amid fears over water sources · Oct 11, 2026
Civil society groups and community forest defenders, led by Greenpeace Africa, held a peaceful protest through Nairobi's Central Business District on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, the report says. Marchers walked from Uhuru Park to the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry, briefly disrupting traffic. They carried a petition signed by over 60,000 citizens opposing golf courses and airstrips in forests.
Public pressure of this scale shows that how protected forest land is used is now a matter of open civic debate, not just policy.
Source: Ghafla — Activists, Public Figures March In Nairobi Against Golf Courses And Airstrips In Forests · Oct 11, 2026
Forests are easier to lose than to replace, and the reports above are a reminder that standing trees need defending as much as new ones need planting. If you want to do one concrete thing today, make a pledge on the REFOREST pledge page and commit to planting a tree. $REFOREST, which has launched, is built around a simple idea: when members hit a take-profit milestone they publicly pledge trees, and every planted tree is checked by three community members before it enters the public registry, which so far holds 0 verified trees. This is not financial advice and nothing here is a suggestion to buy anything.