Learners Inspire Action as Kampala Marks Tree Planting Day Ahead of City Festival

Learners from Nakivubo Primary School opened Kampala’s Tree Planting Day with a stirring performance of a poem titled The Earth’s Lamentation. Their words painted a vivid picture of drying rivers, frequent floods, rising sea levels, and the destruction of the environment by man, while urging citizens to take action—planting trees, managing waste responsibly, and safeguarding the city’s future.

Their message carried urgency and clarity: “Refuse, reuse, recycle. Do not dump garbage in drainage channels.” The poem, met with thunderous applause along Nile Avenue, was more than performance—it was a call to conscience.

The event, held on Friday, was one of the pre-activities leading up to the Kampala City Festival, which returns on October 12 at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds under the theme Culture, Innovation and Sustainability. On this day, sustainability truly took center stage, with leaders, learners, and city residents planting trees and recommitting to greening Kampala.

NEMA’s Call for Rethinking Greening

Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Akankwasa Barirega, the Executive Director of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), challenged Ugandans to rethink what greening truly means.https://youtu.be/7jEoknZ_v-g?si=GljHqLvDF12YdXHG 

“Greening is not just about planting trees. It is about restoring balance in our cities. Yes, we have planted many trees, but how many survive? The challenge is to nurture them,” he said.

Dr. Barirega also cautioned against calls to degazette urban forests, describing such efforts as backward thinking. “We need more forests in cities to clear our air. Air quality in urban areas is far worse than in rural areas. Schools, roads, barracks, and health facilities all have space that must be greened. At NEMA, we are committing to adopt one of Kampala’s green spaces. Greening the city is not KCCA’s responsibility alone; it is everyone’s.”

KCCA Emphasizes Trees as a Gift to Future Generations

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director, Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki, highlighted the importance of the day, noting its alignment with Uganda’s National Tree Planting Day.https://youtu.be/jGO-AeBbyRo?si=rJI1TplSxOqJgZjp 

“To us, trees are life. They give shade, regulate climate, and beautify our city. But beyond that, they are a gift to our children. We must keep them well,” Buzeki said.

She emphasized inclusivity in environmental stewardship: “This should be one of our core values, and we can do better if everyone is involved. Everything green needs all of us.” She revealed that KCCA is prioritizing the planting of fruit trees in schools as part of efforts to promote nutrition and food security.

2,000 Trees to Be Planted Across Kampala

According to KCCA’s Acting Director of Physical Planning, Ivan Katongole, 2,000 trees would be planted as part of the day’s initiative.

“We are planting a few here on Nile Avenue, and the rest will be distributed to schools across the city,” he explained.

Katongole further noted that KCCA is committed to maintaining over 116,000 trees already under its care, underscoring the Authority’s dedication to strengthening the city’s resilience to climate change.

A Movement, Not Just a Gesture

The day’s activities reflected more than symbolic action; they embodied a deliberate and collaborative movement to green public spaces and restore balance to the city. From the heartfelt poetry of school children to the pledges of leaders, the message echoed strongly: Kampala’s future depends on the trees planted and nurtured today.

As the Kampala City Festival draws near, the Tree Planting Day not only prepared the ground for the celebration but also reinforced its core theme—Culture, Innovation and Sustainability—placing the environment at the very heart of Kampala’s transformation.