The historic feat was achieved on Saturday at Jomvu during celebrations to mark the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, bringing together scouts, conservationists and members of the local community in one of the country’s largest environmental campaigns.
Organised by the Kenya Scouts Association in partnership with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), M-Pesa Foundation and other partners, the exercise attracted 4,196 participants. Of these, 4,124 successfully met the stringent synchronization requirements set by Guinness World Records, earning Kenya the new record.
The achievement comes as the country intensifies efforts to restore degraded ecosystems and support the national target of planting 15 billion trees by 2030.
Kenya Forest Service Principal Senior Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests Dr Clement Ng’oriareng’ said the event was aimed at highlighting the ecological importance of mangrove forests while encouraging greater public participation in their conservation.
“The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the threats facing mangrove forests and the need for collective action to protect them,” he said.
Dr Ng’oriareng’ noted that mangroves play a critical role in protecting coastlines from erosion, providing breeding grounds for fish, absorbing carbon emissions and sustaining the livelihoods of coastal communities.
He said KFS provided technical guidance throughout the exercise, including identifying suitable planting sites, determining appropriate spacing for seedlings and supervising the process to ensure it complied with Guinness World Records guidelines.
“Mobilising thousands of participants, ensuring everyone had seedlings and the necessary equipment, and carrying out the planting simultaneously was a significant undertaking. We are pleased that the exercise was successfully completed,” he said.
Kenya Scouts Association Chief Executive Officer Moses Danda said the record attempt sought to make environmental conservation more appealing to young people while reinforcing their role in protecting natural resources.
“We wanted to create excitement around conservation and demonstrate that environmental action can inspire young people. Our scouts have embraced this challenge because they understand their responsibility to safeguard the environment,” he said.
Mr Danda said the association’s more than 4.4 million members would continue supporting tree-growing and environmental conservation initiatives across the country.
Safaricom Director for Sustainability and Shared Value Karen Basiye said the company, through the M-Pesa Foundation, supported the initiative as part of its commitment to plant five million trees under Kenya’s national tree-growing programme.
“Mangroves are among the most effective ecosystems for carbon sequestration. Protecting and restoring them also strengthens the livelihoods of coastal communities that depend on these ecosystems,” she said.
Ms Basiye added that involving children in environmental activities helps cultivate a lifelong culture of conservation.
Jomvu MP Badi Twalib described the achievement as a demonstration of the impact communities can make when they unite to address environmental challenges.
“We are restoring our coastline, protecting marine biodiversity and securing a greener future. Jomvu has shown that collective action can deliver global recognition while advancing environmental conservation,” he said.
The successful record attempt positions Kenya among countries using large-scale community action to promote ecosystem restoration, while drawing global attention to the importance of conserving mangrove forests in the fight against climate change.
