By Alloys Musyoka
Kenya ports authority will continue supporting the community in the coastal region in the effort to restore and conserve mangrove in its “Mangrove Restoration for Ocean Protection and increased forest cover project.
Kenya ports authority acting manager corporate communication Jones Buchere said that the environmental initiative is in collaboration with Kenya forest services and community forest associations along the coastal region.
He said that they are doing it in alignment with Green Port policy and president William Rutos’ directive of planting 15 billion trees.
Buchere made the remarks during Mazingira day at Majoreni mangrove restoration site in Kwale county where Kenya Ports Authority planted 10,000 mangrove seedlings in effort of restoration since 2003.
Muchere said that since 2019 the Authority has so far planted 521,000 tree with this year focusing on planting around 500,000 more.
He said that the mangroves restoration initiative in degraded areas is taking place in Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale among other areas.
This came as the Mombasa Port Authority was declared the winner in the 2025 international Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) sustainability awards in the Kenya Ports Authority’s’ “Mangrove Restoration for Ocean Protection and increased forest cover project”.
The announcement was made during the Gala dinner awards ceremony at the ongoing IAPH World Ports Conference in Kobe, Japan. This comes after a meticulous judging process by IAPH’s independent jury of industry experts and KPA’s well calculated public vote campaign to galvanize support for the project.
The KPA project topped in the Environmental Care category after beating two other finalists from a record-breaking pool of 500 global submissions.
The award recognizes KPA’s innovative collaboration with coastal communities to restore degraded forest ecosystems. Mangrove Restoration for Ocean Protection impressed the judges after demonstrating how ports’ collaboration with local communities and other government agencies can help empower communities and support the conservation of the environment and marine biodiversity for sustainable port operations.
Under the program, KPA has collaborated closely with the communities in the coastal region to rehabilitate degraded mangroves.
The impact has resulted in expanded mangrove cover and a healthier coastal ecosystem, creating ideal conditions for fish breeding, leading to an increase of lobsters and prawns, ultimately contributing to the socio-economic well-being of the communities.
Pongwe Kidumu community forest association chair Mshemanga Hamisi said that the Mombasa Ports Authority mangrove restoration project has helped the community in ensuring the degraded areas are restored.
He said that mangroves serve as breeding ground for fish and help curbing carbon-dioxide ten times than the terrestrial forests while mitigating the effects of climate change.
He called on more partners to support the communities and ensure all degraded areas along the mangrove forests are restored in Kwale.
Majoreni mangrove restoration site community group member Mwambi Khatib said that they have been able to benefit from the project economically as they plant and conserve mangroves in the area.
