Kenya Scouts Set World Record for Mangrove Planting

Kenya recently established a new Guinness World Record for planting the most mangrove seedlings simultaneously. A total of 4,124 participants successfully planted mangrove seedlings at the Jomvu Kuu Mangrove Site in Mombasa County, surpassing the minimum requirement for this category.

The record-breaking event was orchestrated by the Kenya Scouts Association, in collaboration with the Kenya Forest Service and the M-PESA Foundation. This initiative underscored the vital role mangroves play in safeguarding coastlines, supporting marine life, and building resilience against climate change impacts.

Participants followed specific guidelines for manual planting, ensuring the integrity of the record. The event is linked to International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem and Kenya's 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme, aiming to restore degraded landscapes nationwide.

Mangrove forests are crucial for coastal stability, erosion control, and providing habitats for diverse wildlife. They also serve as significant carbon sinks, contributing to climate change mitigation efforts. Their restoration is key to protecting Kenya's extensive Indian Ocean coastline.

This achievement follows a previous record set in April 2026 by Antoine Moses, who planted 47,460 mangrove saplings in 24 hours in Mombasa, highlighting different yet complementary conservation strategies.