By:Kurian Musa
June 30,2025:
Egerton University is going green in a big way.On its annual Tree Planting Day, the university community planted over 6,300 trees in just a few hours. Staff from all departments put down their pens and laptops, picked up hoes and seedlings, and got to work.
But it wasn’t just about planting trees. It was about connection, reflection, and purpose.
“This is more than a planting event,” said Prof. Benard Aduda, Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academics, Research and Extension. “It’s our way of supporting the President’s vision to grow 15 billion trees and fight climate change.”
Prof. Aduda, who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Kibwage, called on staff to make conservation a lifestyle, not just a one-day event.The initiative was coordinated by Prof. Richard Mulwa, Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Finance and Planning.
“Our goal is not just tree numbers,” Prof. Mulwa said. “It’s about creating a culture of sustainability across the university and the wider community.”
That wider community includes students, local schools, and government officials who joined hands for the exercise.But Egerton's green mission doesn’t stop at campus borders.
The university is a proud partner in the Run for Mau Ecosystem Campaign; a national effort to save East Africa’s largest indigenous montane forest. The Mau Complex, a vital water catchment area, has suffered massive degradation over the years.To back its conservation work with science, Egerton University trains the next generation of eco-warriors through its Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources Development (FERD).
Courses like Limnology — the study of inland waters and Wildlife Enterprise and Management prepare students to restore, protect, and manage ecosystems.
Egerton is not just talking sustainability. It’s living it. One tree and one student at a time.
