In the face of climate uncertainty, degraded landscapes, and dwindling agricultural returns, it is tempting to view Kenya’s drylands as barren, hopeless spaces. Yet in Kitui’s semi-arid heartland, a different story is unfolding, one of restoration, resilience, and regeneration. At the centre of this story stands nature-based solution practices (agroforestry).
This is an integrated system approach of a carefully selected mix of 50 indigenous and other locally adaptable plant species to survive and thrive in harsh dryland conditions. These are not just trees but catalysts for a new model of farming and rural prosperity.
With the leadership of Africa Wood Grow and the grassroots energy of Kamiti CBO, communities in Kitui are quietly building a new agricultural future, one where trees don’t compete with crops but protect and enhance them. One where the farmer becomes a forester, water manager, carbon steward, and food producer, all in one.
Most of the indigenous trees have long been valued for their timber, but the potential extends far beyond lumber.
Deep roots improve soil structure and access underground water, while the tree canopy creates a microclimate that shields crops and conserves moisture. Under their shade, grasses are sprouting where dust once ruled. Cattle are returning to lands previously abandoned for pasture.
Through tree growth, carbon is being quietly stored, unlocking access to carbon markets that could provide farmers with future income streams.
These trees aren’t just surviving the climate crisis, they’re helping communities adapt to it.
The Africa Wood Grow–Kamiti CBO model is simple yet powerful. Once a farmer joins the project, they are given seedlings, fencing materials, and training. More than 80,000 trees are planted and protected on farms.
Africa Wood Grow operates a tree nursery with a capacity to produce 500,000 seedlings a year. Over the past 14 years, more than two million tree seedlings have been produced and distributed among farmers, plantations, schools, churches and health centres.
To sustain trees in drylands, Africa Wood Grow has supported the development of water pans, farm ponds, sump wells and soil and water conservation structures such as terraces and check dams.
Agroforestry isn’t a new idea, but its relevance has never been greater. Agroforestry offers a rare triple win: improved food production, restored ecosystems, and enhanced livelihoods.
The future of dryland agriculture doesn’t lie in synthetic fertilisers or imported technologies but in working with nature through indigenous species that have long adapted to the rhythms of drylands. It lies in trusting and investing in local communities, like the farmers of Kamiti CBO, who are turning restoration into a livelihood and climate action into a daily reality.
The next time we speak of drylands, let’s talk not of despair but of shade, the kind that shelters maize, cools the soil, nourishes livestock, and sequesters carbon.
The kind that whispers a quiet truth: A better future may very well grow under a tree.
A sump well project provides water for agriculture, livestock, schools, churches and households. The result? Maize fields that remain green amid erratic rainfall, households that no longer walk kilometres to fetch water, and landscapes once stripped bare are now covered in productive, living green.
In a region where charcoal remains a major income source for many, providing alternative, sustainable livelihoods is no longer optional, it’s essential. The project doesn’t shame tree cutting it offers something better—an economy rooted in standing trees, not felled ones.
Critics may question whether such models can scale, but they are missing the bigger point: we cannot afford not to scale them. Supporting dryland agroforestry through policy incentives, access to climate finance, and research will be critical.
So, too, we will be reimagining the role of the dryland farmer, not as a passive victim of climate change but as a frontline actor in global climate resilience.
The future of dryland agriculture doesn't lie in synthetic fertilizers or imported technologies but in working with nature through indigenous species that have long adapted to the rhythms of drylands. It lies in trusting and investing in local communities, like the farmers of Kamiti C.B.O, who are turning restoration into a livelihood and climate action into a daily reality.
The next time we speak of drylands, let's talk not of despair but of shade, the kind that shelters maize, cools the soil, nourishes livestock, and sequesters carbon. The kind that whispers a quiet truth: A better future may very well grow under a tree.
