They started with sukuma wiki farming, now Kakamega couple restoring Kenya’s environment

To boost the environment, a Kakamega couple has decided to give a variety of tree seedlings to farmers for free following the government’s call for Kenyans to plant more trees to maintain green spaces and fight deforestation.

The couple, James Keya and Violet Keya from Ikonyero village, said the move that began with little knowledge has earned them great recognition from the village and organisations that have contacted them.

According to them, they used to grow kale and other crops, but they changed course and began preparing a variety of tree seedlings, including hass avocado and passion fruit.

In an exclusive interview with Mulembe News, the couple said that although they faced challenges including drought and diseases, they never gave up and persevered to turn the village green.

“We began as sukuma wiki farmers but changed to green the community by planting tree seedlings and giving them for free,” James Keya said.

However, Keya said that planting every tree does not protect nature. He revealed that some varieties cannot be planted near water sources.

He added that despite urging Kenyans to plant more trees, people should plant those that dry up water sources only at elevated points to prevent soil and wind erosion.

He insisted that for a healthy and beautiful landscape, one should plant a mixture of trees in their compound, including avocado and pawpaw for food.

“As much as I encourage people to plant more trees, I want them to have those that produce fruits and medicine for health purposes,” he said.

Having been involved in tree planting for over five years, Keya’s family has benefited around 1,000 farmers with over two million trees, most of which are fruit trees.

According to Keya, he also has trees for beautification, including bottle brush and whistling pine, which he plants in the compound for aesthetic purposes.

He highlighted that he grows tree species such as calliandra and sesbania, which serve as animal fodder for livestock to increase milk production and improve health.

On the other hand, Violet Keya said the inspiration behind planting trees comes from their own daughter, who has been encouraging them on the importance of planting trees.

Mrs Keya said their daughters’ call has earned them sponsors who have come to boost their activities of preparing tree seedlings and give farmers for free.

She said it has been a long journey that needs resilience to protect nature through ecosystems and reduce deforestation in Ikonyero village and its environments.

“Our daughter inspired us, and we are doing well; we have partnered with organisations to continue producing tree seedlings and give them to villagers for free,” Violet said.

Further, one of the beneficiaries of the initiative, Mzee Andika, said that about half of the trees in his compound come from Keya’s farm mostly they are fruit trees that his grandchildren feed on.

Moses said he has also been championing for Kenyans to plant more trees, as he is doing to boost the environment. He revealed that today, only he has been given 50 seedlings that he will plant on his farm.

The grown-up trees are assisting him to pay school fees for grandchildren and using some as firewood to cook food for the family.

“Miti kutoka hapa imenisaidia sana; my compound is beautiful courtesy of Keya and his wife. He gave me seedlings for free, and they are doing well,” Moses acknowledged.

The organisations that have come to boost Keya’s initiative, including Tupande (One-Acre Fund) through Chrispinus Akinda, Kakamega Zone Supervisor, said they have been assisting farmers who have potential in preparing tree nurseries by giving them inputs including seeds and other materials.

Chrispinus added that Keya had the potential to transform the environment, and they came up with strategies that worked perfectly, and he can now produce many seedlings per week.

He revealed that despite giving materials to a farmer, they also educate them on how they can treat diseases that may attack seedlings.

“As an organisation, we choose farmers who have the potential to manage tree nurseries; we empower them by assisting them to take care of seedlings,” Chrispinus Akinda said.

According to Akinda, since they began the initiative, they have produced and issued over 145 million trees since 2023, making a milestone in preserving nature and ecosystems.

He added that this year alone they plan to distribute at least 48 million seedlings to not only farmers but also schools and churches in Kakamega County to protect the environment.

He revealed that as an organisation, they have around 348 distribution points for tree seedlings, urging Kenyans to go and pick them freely.

“We give them out free to farmers, and all our branches across the country have them. I urge Kenyans to pick them and boost the future by planting more trees,” he urged