By 7:00 PM, Hillary Kiplagat Kibiwott had already planted 5,628 trees at Kessup Forest Station, maintaining a steady pace in his ambitious quest to shatter the Guinness World Record for the most trees planted by an individual in 24 hours.
Kibiwott, the co-founder of the Green Earth Ambassadors Foundation, is targeting at least 24,000 seedlings across 30.15 hectares in a high-intensity reforestation exercise that began earlier in the day.
The current record stands at 23,060 trees, set in 2021 by Canadian planter Antoine Moses in La Crete, Alberta.
He was flagged off by Elgeyo-Marakwet Governor Wesley Rotich, with Kenya Forest Service teams on site providing technical supervision.
The operation is being coordinated by Regional Forest Conservator for North Rift John Rono and County Forest Conservator Richard Guya.
Government officials have framed the attempt as part of Kenya’s wider environmental agenda.
Principal Secretary for Forestry Gitonga Mugambi said the effort aligns with the country’s ambition to grow 15 billion trees by 2032.
“His effort speaks to a wider national mission… to restore degraded landscapes, safeguard vital water catchments, and realise the President’s ambition of growing 15 billion trees by 2032,” Mugambi said, calling it “bold, community-driven action.”
National Treasury Principal Secretary Dr Chris Kiptoo, who also serves as Patron of the Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme, said the attempt carries deeper meaning beyond numbers.
“Through this record-breaking attempt, he is planting more than trees; he is planting in us the courage and resolve to push beyond our limits in forest restoration, challenging us to rethink what is possible in climate action,” he said.
Kiptoo also reflected on Kibiwott’s name, noting its cultural significance.
“In the Kalenjin language, ‘Kibiwott’ means one born in the rainy season. In many Kenyan communities, that season symbolises planting and decisive action. In many ways, he is living up to that meaning.”
President William Ruto’s “Jaza Miti” programme, launched in 2022, targets the planting of 15 billion trees and the restoration of over 5.1 million hectares of degraded land.
As night sets in over Kessup, Kibiwott continues the relentless push toward the 24,000-tree target, with hours still ahead in the record attempt.
