The National Bamboo Policy 2022 by the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) outlines the strategic direction for bamboo resources, emphasizing their benefits for economic development, improved livelihoods, and environmental services. This policy aims to enhance bamboo growing, sustainable management, and commercialization, creating an enabling environment for the bamboo sub-sector’s development in Kenya. In response to this policy, and with a focus to rehabilitate and conserve Mt. Kenya Forest, Adept Conservation Network is working with the local communities to propagate Bamboo seedlings. The seedlings are planted in degraded sites of Mt. Kenya Forest to rehabilitate such areas and in private farmlands for commercial purposes.
In the year 2025, over 60 members from five local Community Based Organizations that are involved in forest Conservation in Tharaka Nithi County, were supported by Adept Conservation Network through training on propagation and planting of bamboo. They were also trained on value addition of bamboo products. The training was conducted by partners from Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University (ZAFU), China.
Following the training, the local communities have started a bamboo seedlings nursery at Chuka Forest Station and other stations. Some members who were trained on bamboo value addition have started producing unique bamboo items and are gearing for further mentorship training and marketing of their products such as cups, pen/toothbrush holders and other artefacts. The communities target to raise and plant 100,000 bamboo seedlings in the next 3 years.
Tharaka Nithi after the Value Addition Training.
