Sita Umoja Conservation Group, through assistance from the World-Bank funded Kenya Marine Fisheries and Socio-Economic Development Project (KEMSFED) has already raised 78,000 mangrove tree seedlings to be planted along the coastline in the ward.
Speaking during a mangrove tree planting event in Sita area of Dabaso ward, Mr. Maxon Dzombo, the group’s chairman, said the group received a grant of Sh4.9 million from KEMSFED, which it used to nurture the seedlings that he said were ready for transplanting.
Mr. Dzombo said his group had been involved in mangrove restoration activities for more than 14 years and thanked KEMSFED and the County Government of Kilifi for the funding that he said would enable the group to expand its activities.
Sita Umoja conservation group is among 621 groups in five of the six Coastal counties that have received a total of Sh1.5 billion to help strengthen capacity in governance of marine fisheries and empower coastal communities economically.
The project, which is being implemented by the national government through the State Department for Fisheries and Blue Economy with funding from the World Bank, covers Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, Tana River and Lamu, which border the Indian Ocean.
The project’s National Coordinator, Mr. Patrick Mwenda Kiara, said the project aims at supporting the country in its efforts to leverage emerging opportunities in the Blue Economy, with a special focus on fisheries.
Speaking during the mangrove tree planting event at the Sita fish landing site Friday, Mr. Kiara the project funds community groups to carry out various socio-economic activities after approving the groups’ proposals.
Kenya is currently implementing several landscapes and ecosystem restoration interventions including the 15 billion national tree growing program.
Alongside the national interventions, the country has numerous community-driven projects focused on restoring degraded landscapes by involving local communities in sustainable land management practices, afforestation, and reforestation efforts.
These projects aim to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation while enhancing Kenya’s carbon sequestration potential.