For years, the roars of boda boda engines inside the Geta Forest reserve of the Aberdares Forests, in Nyandarua County, often signalled trouble.
Many boda boda riders in these areas were part of a network ferrying illegally cut timber and charcoal from the forest.
But in 2025, those same riders have now swapped axes for seedlings.
“In the past, we used to carry charcoal as well as posts, especially fencing posts,” reveals Daniel Maina, a 30-year-old rider who was part of the notorious group. However, he has now become a conservation ambassador.
“When you look at our forest, you can see that there are no trees. To be honest, we are the ones who caused this.”
For decades, illegal activities such as charcoal burning, harvesting firewood and honey, and encroaching on the forest had taken a heavy toll on parts of the Aberdares, especially around Geta. This led to forest erosion and loss of biodiversity.
Residents who once enjoyed the refreshing water from the abundant streams in the forest now have to walk tens of kilometres to find water, as the forest springs have dried up.
The Aberdares Forest is a vital water tower for the country. Four of Kenya’s largest rivers, including the Tana, Athi, Ewaso Nyiro and Malewa rivers, originate in these ranges.
Furthermore, the ranges are water catchment areas for the Sasuma and Ndakaini dams, which provide millions of litres of water to Nairobi and its environs.
Illegal activities in the forest got conservationists alarmed. The degradation of the forest showed no signs of slowing down. The once green and vibrant forest was fast turning into a bare mountain.
Passion for Conservation
They realised that the lack of conservation awareness was a major driver of the destruction. Action had to be taken, swiftly.
The Kenya Forest Association (KFS), in collaboration with other partners such as the Rhino Ark Organisation, launched a massive campaign to mobilise and collaborate with the surrounding community to spearhead the rehabilitation of the water catchment area.
After several engagements and conservation training sessions, the plan started to work. Among those whose passion for conservation was ignited were boda boda riders in the Wanjohi area, who were once considered adversaries of the forest.
Four months ago, Maina and 13 other boda boda riders formed the 'Wanjohi Boda Boda Conservation Champion' group.
On the first and last Wednesday of every month, this boda boda group meets to plan their conservation activities for the coming month and review what they achieved the previous month.
Some of the conservation activities they conduct at the Geta Forest station include helping with fencing, planting trees, and also educating other boda boda riders and community members on the importance of conservation.
The riders have also partnered with the KFS to weed out illegal timber and honey harvesters in the forest.
The group has some very strict regulations. For example, to become a member, you must be vetted by the entire team, who will examine your background and assess your knowledge of conservation. If a member is found to be violating forest resources, their membership is terminated and they are reported to the relevant authorities.
“Not everybody is aware of the importance of this forest, and we try our best to educate others. We are not the only ones; other groups take care of other parts of the forest,” Maina says.
“We are very strict because we need to change everyone in the society to conserve, so when a person expresses interest in joining the group, we have to look at their reputation first and also what they know about conservation because we ourselves have already gone through training.”
Beyond their conservation works at the forest, the riders have also extended their environmental mission to the nearby Wanjohi town, where they organize regular clean-up drives.
Maina says that their goal is to inspire other residents and boda boda riders to take responsibility for their surroundings and keep the town as clean as the forest they now protect.
“Every time I’m at my boda boda work, I ensure that I wear a reflector and a helmet, which has been branded with a conservation logo, and as I transport my customers from one place to another, I try and tell them something about conservation,” Maina said.
Community Forest Associations
On Tuesday, October 7, representatives from the boda boda group joined the KFS, Rhino Ark, and other conservation partners in a tree planting session in preparation for Mazingira Day.
During the session, 1000 trees were planted at the Sophia segment of the forest station, which had borne the brunt of deforestation. The Geta Forest Station has five blocks, and in each block, other groups of boda boda riders are helping with conservation works.
According to the Geta Forest Station Manager, Samuel Gishea, the partnership between the agency, community members, and other conservation advocates has borne remarkable accomplishments over the years in rekindling the vibrance of the forest.
Through the trainings, community members surrounding the forest have established Community Forest Associations (CFAs) that play a key role in driving conservation efforts in the forest.
The CFAs mobilise community members to also participate in conservation efforts, such as forest rehabilitation through tree planting and fence building.
The CFAs also started their own tree nursery, where they grow seedlings and then supply them to the community, so that they may plant them at their homesteads.
The associations are also encouraging residents to engage with other economic activities, such as beekeeping, farming, and serving as tour guides in the forest.
"The money I get from being a local tour guide is good compared to even what I was, earning when I was selling wood from the forest," said Wanjiku Gitonga, a local tour guide at the forest.
“From 2017, there has been a forest fire at least every year, and before then. We have sensitised the locals here to participate in conservation activities such as tree growing. We can now see that there are no illegal human activities in these areas," Gishea said.
15 Billion Trees
The rehabilitation of the forest has not only been fundamental in rejuvenating the once deteriorating ecosystem and restoring the springs once again to life, but has also proved that it is possible to co-exist with nature harmoniously.
President William Ruto has revealed that the government has, in the past three years, made tremendous strides towards the ultimate 15 billion tree campaign by 2032. Since the launch of the tree planting campaign in 2023, Kenya has planted one billion tree seedlings.
The President, who led a tree planting session in the statehouse on Friday, October 10, to commemorate Mazingira Day, said that the government will mobilise 15,000 personnel from the NYS to revive over 300 nurseries in all forests and establish 17 mega nurseries. According to Ruto, the nurseries will have the capacity to produce two billion seedlings every year for Kenyans to plant.
"The seedlings will include fruit trees to strengthen not only our food security, but also create opportunities for export, agro-processing, and generate jobs and wealth for our people. This initiative will also protect our water catchments and reduce the effects of climate change," Ruto stated.
