The Sri Lankan community in Kenya, led by High Commissioner Veluppillai Kananathan, planted 100,000 trees on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, in the Export Processing Zone in Nairobi in commemoration of Sri Lanka’s 75th independence anniversary, which is being celebrated on February 4th this year, and in particular to extend a token of support to Kenyan President William Ruto’s campaign to plant 15 billion trees in Kenya by 2032. The location, the Export Procession Zone in Nairobi, is significant as it houses Sri Lankan investments such as three garment manufacturing factories, including Mass Holdings, Hela Clothing, New Wide Apparels, etc., which have employed over 30,000 Kenyans in the textile industry. Other locations include Karura forest.

Ben Oluoch Olunya, the Board Chairman of the Export Processing Zone Authority of Kenya, who represented the government of Kenya at the event stated that Sri Lanka High Commission was the first diplomatic mission represented in Kenya to extend support to the Kenyan-President-led progressive tree-planting campaign in Kenya and thanked the Sri Lanka High Commissioner’s initiative and the community for the exemplary contribution towards the tree-planting campaign in Kenya. He added that the trend has been set for the diplomatic community to follow suit.  During the event, High Commissioner Kananathan mobilised a further 1,000,000 trees from the Sri Lankan community to plant in the month of February to show solidarity with the host country.

President Ruto launched a nationwide tree planting campaign in an effort to help raise Kenya’s tree cover to 30 per cent by 2032 and help reduce the adverse climatic change that is ravaging Kenya. President Ruto also called on the international community to support Kenya’s effort to increase its forest cover and help address the negative effects of climate change, including the rise of heat and droughts. Sri Lanka and Kenya have been enjoying excellent bilateral relations for over five decades, which are based on historical connections, and both countries are closely working on global issues of concern. The Sri Lanka High Commission’s gesture of goodwill to plant trees to mark the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence adds further impetus to the growing ties between the two countries.