Sasumwa Dam in South Kinangop- Nyandarua, Continues to Thirst for Increased Tree Cover

Every fresh breath of air we take, any minute spent under a tree’s shade, any soothing chirping of a bird and any glimpse of a green colour on a growing plant is a reminder that we all have a responsibility to conserve our environment. Every good thing we enjoy from nature is a reward for the good people have done to it over time.

Droughts and famines, unpredictable weather patterns, increasing heat levels over a duration, melting of the ice on mountain peaks and floods should be interpreted as the environment calling for attention; immediate restorative action to be precise. As the Nobel Peace Laureate, Prof. Wangari Maathai said, ‘Nature does not forgive’. If you destroy nature, it will make you pay in a non-negotiable manner.

Lying at the foothills of the Arberdare ranges in Njabini, South Kinangop in Nyandarua County, Sasumua Dam is a blessing the locals seem reluctant to appreciate yet. This important water reservoir collects water from River Chania, Sasumua and Kiburu. The plant treats an estimated 52 to 59 million litres of water on a daily basis. This water is afterwards sent down a 60 km pipeline to Kabete Treatment plant where the water is blended into the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company grid that supplies all the city dwellers with water. About 11% of the water used in the city is supplied from the dam.

As they say, ‘Charity begins at home’, Dedan Kimathi Foundation has always had a soft spot for this vital water reservoir. As an environmental organization, we have always felt the great need to drive total forestation of the riparian to create a protective buffer to reduce evaporation rates of the dam water during the prolonged dry seasons hence maintaining the dam water level to an all-time high, reduce siltation as tree roots hold soil particles closely together, reduce agricultural chemicals from dissolving into the dam water from the farms nearby and ensure zero waste is washed to the dam.

Since 2019, we have been spearheading series of tree growing activities in the riparian with the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company that mans the entire dam riparian. We have often involved our good partners such as the Kenya Forest Service, CKL Africa Ltd, Kenya Defence Forces, Seedballs Kenya, Equity Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank, Nyandarua County Goverment National Government Administration Officers, National Police Service and the dam adjacent community members among others.

Despite the repeated tree growing activities, the riparian is yet to register an appealing tree cover. Most of the trees we have been planting have been exposed to livestock browsing as the community grazes in the vast open fields. To counter this problem, we have often responded by settling on the non-palatable tree species especially Juniperus procera well known as the red cider. These trees take quite a very long time to grow hence the delayed change of the area.

Despite all the factors lowering the trees survival rates, our motivation has been maintained by some sections of the riparian trees have done exemplary well registering survival rates above 85%. With that success, we believe the rest of the riparian can be transformed.

On Friday 21st August 2026, we conducted a 10,000 tree planting activity in partnership with Sasumua Dam Management and staff, Kahawa Garrison based Kenya Army Corps of transport, Patience Manga Foundation, Hon. Wangui Gikonyo Gathimba (Kinangop MP Aspirant) Team, Studio 18 Cyber, Nevus Outreach Kenya, Kinangop Technical and Vocational College and the community members. NGAO was well represented by the area chief. The assortment of the trees planted was donated by KDF from their Kahawa Tree Nursery and our Foundation from Njabini Legacy tree nursery.

With a target to grow 50 million trees by the year 2032 in support of the National Government 15 billion tree growing agenda, we remain vigilant to keep growing trees nationally in partnership with the Kenya Defence Forces who have been directed to grow 450 million trees by the year 2032. To us, every day is an environmental day as we strive to attain our ambitious targets if the 30% tree cover is to be realized.

To ensure the community members own the riparian tree growing, we urge the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, local leaders, National Government through the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change, our partners such as CKL Africa, Kenya Forest Service, Seedballs Kenya, County Goverments of Nairobi and Nyandarua to come together to improve the livelihoods of the community members. This could be done through donation of water storage tanks, farm inputs such as fertilizers and high quality seeds of high demand crops, fodder crops, fruit trees and ensuring every homestead has reliable piped water. With the above provided, the community would jealously protect the trees planted as they will have benefited from the dam existence in their locality.

Our Foundation remains overly committed to continue driving sustainable tree growing activities across the country through ‘Wanjugu Kimathi Green Legacy’ to reverse the high rate of deforestation being witnessed nationwide which threatens the stability of our climate.

Each tree we plant is a seed of building a legacy of patriotism in securing the future of our country.