NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 10 – Kenya is targeting the planting of 17.24 million trees during this year’s Mazingira Day celebrations, as the government steps up efforts to restore degraded land and achieve its ambitious 15-billion-tree goal by 2032.The national celebrations are taking place on Saturday in Trans Nzoia County, with activities involving government agencies, schools, community groups and other institutions across the country.Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa said more than 51,000 community planters would take part in activities at 79 sites across 31 counties, with millions of seedlings expected to be planted. “Every tree will be counted, geo-tagged and certified. This is accountability in action,” Barasa said, explaining how the government intends to track tree planting and monitor its impact.The programme includes planting by village elders, the Kenya Prisons Service, the National Youth Service and learning institutions. The government is also promoting digital tools to record and monitor tree-growing activities. The campaign comes as Kenya seeks to protect water sources, restore forests, improve soil health and strengthen its response to climate change.The government has previously reported that 2.2 billion trees had been planted towards the national target of 15 billion by 2032. The celebrations are being held under the theme “Our Environment, Our Responsibility: Collective Action for Tree Growing and Environmental Stewardship.”