Muslim Leaders Launch Tree-Planting Drive to Support Palestinians, Urge Kenya to Condemn Gaza Atrocities

By Grace Mwende 

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 31, 2025 — A coalition of Kenyan Muslim organizations under the banner Voice of Palestine has launched a nationwide tree-planting initiative aimed at raising funds to support Palestinians amid what it describes as an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza.

Speaking at a press event in Nairobi, Voice of Palestine—which includes the Jamia Mosque Committee, the National Muslim Leaders Forum (NAMLEF), the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM), and the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK), among others—called for urgent international intervention to end what they termed a “systematic genocide” in Palestine.

“Our goal is twofold: to raise much-needed humanitarian aid for Palestinians and to support the Government of Kenya’s environmental restoration efforts through tree planting,” said Ahmed Shariff, who signed the statement on behalf of the coalition. “In doing so, we plant both trees and the values of justice, humanity, and peace.”

The coalition emphasized that the tree-planting campaign would contribute to President William Ruto’s ambitious reforestation drive while mobilizing solidarity funds for victims of ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza. The initiative will be carried out in collaboration with government agencies, private companies, and other partners.

The statement painted a dire picture of conditions in Gaza, citing over 70,000 deaths—many of them women and children—as a result of nearly two years of Israeli bombardment and blockade. It accused the Israeli government of weaponizing food by blocking humanitarian aid and using starvation as a tool of war.

“Over 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are now displaced. There is no place in Gaza that can be considered safe,” the statement read. “Gruesome images of starving civilians continue to emerge, even as humanitarian convoys remain blocked just kilometers away.”

The coalition urged the Government of Kenya to take a firmer stance on the conflict. Citing Kenya’s own history under British colonial rule and its leadership in peacekeeping missions such as in Haiti, the statement argued that Kenya has a moral responsibility to speak out.

“In 1994, the world stood by as genocide unfolded in Rwanda. Today, a similar indifference is enabling the suffering in Palestine,” said Shariff. “Kenya cannot afford to be silent. We urge the government to call for an immediate ceasefire and reassess its diplomatic relations with Israel.”

The group called for immediate, unhindered access for humanitarian aid into Gaza and a review of Kenya’s diplomatic and bilateral ties with Israel in light of alleged violations of international law. They also called for stronger advocacy on the international stage in support of a just and lasting peace for Palestine.

The Voice of Palestine reaffirmed its commitment to continue mobilizing Kenyans around both humanitarian and environmental causes, declaring that the tree-planting initiative would be a symbol of resistance and hope.

“Even as we plant trees for the planet, we also plant hope for the people of Palestine,” the group concluded.