KEWASIP convenes stakeholder workshop to map investment needs for KEFRI seed centres and KFS tree nurseries for landscape restoration

Kenya Watershed Services Improvement Project (KEWASIP) has brought together key implementing entities for a five-day technical stakeholder workshop at the Kenya School of Agriculture in Nyeri to discuss and prioritize institutional investment needs that will strengthen tree seed and seedling production systems across project sites in support of landscape restoration and watershed improvement.

The workshop provides a collaborative platform for technical experts to review the findings of a comprehensive assessment that was undertaken of Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) seed centres, as well as Kenya Forest Service (KFS) tree nurseries across KEWASIP project areas.

The assessment examined critical aspects of nursery operations, including infrastructure, water availability, seed handling facilities, production capacity, staff capacity, and operational challenges.

Building on these findings, participants are jointly prioritizing 60 nurseries for immediate and phased support and developing practical, standardized nursery designs and indicative Bills of Quantities (BQs) that will guide the rehabilitation, upgrading, and establishment of nursery infrastructure under the project.

These standardized designs will provide a consistent framework for implementing nursery improvement interventions across KEWASIP target landscapes while ensuring quality, efficiency, and value for money.

The workshop will also develop an equipment specification list for upgrading the 8 KEFRI seed centers based on identified needs.

These investments are expected to enable the production of 220 million indigenous tree seedlings by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), 20 million agroforestry and difficult-to-propagate tree seedlings alongside 100 tonnes of assorted tree seeds by the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) over the project's implementation period.

This production target will provide the quality planting materials required to support large-scale landscape restoration interventions across the project's target watersheds.

The workshop brings together representatives from the State Department for Forestry, the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), and other implementing entities, reflecting the project's collaborative approach to delivering sustainable landscape restoration interventions.

KEWASIP is a five-year Government of Kenya project implemented by the State Department for Forestry under the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry with financing from the World Bank.

The project seeks to expand the area under sustainable land and watershed management while improving livelihoods in targeted project areas.

Strengthening nursery and seed centre infrastructure is a critical milestone in laying the foundation to support Kenya's ambitious landscape restoration agenda while ensuring communities have access to quality planting materials for years to come.