Conferences are not new to Kenya. In fact Kenyans were meeting long before the world became so accessible. Our ancestors would gather under the cool shade of the Mugumo (fig) tree and hold meetings.
Since then, this tree has become symbolic in Kenya, and under its shade, some of the most historic decisions have been taken.
In November 2020, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta described the Mugumo tree as a “beacon of Kenya’s cultural and ecological heritage”. He issued a decree that spared the life of a 100-year-old fig tree along Waiyaki Way in downtown Nairobi that had been sentenced to being cut down to make way for an expressway. This tree holds a special place in the hearts of Kenyans, and is the main inspiration behind Kenya Convention Bureau’s brand logo.
The move to spare this iconic tree sent out a clear message, that environmental conservation is a government priority. Since then Government and many other stakeholders such as ‘Plant a Tree Nairobi’ and the Global Forest Fund have implemented a strong focus on tree planting throughout Kenya; the Kenya Organisation for Environmental Education is implementing a three-year “Tree Planting as a Pathway to Green Growth and Sustainability” project from 2020/21 involving over 1,500 students and 50 teachers planting 10,000 trees in and around Nairobi. Kenya Convention Bureau aims to plant 10,000 trees during its first year of operations.