Kigali’s Igiti Cyanjye Drive Reaches 1.7M Plantings, Survival Tested
Kigali, 1 October 2026 — Kigali’s Igiti Cyanjye (“My Tree”) campaign has planted 1.7 million trees and shrubs since 2025. Meanwhile, under the SUNCASA nature-based solutions project, the emphasis has shifted to keeping young trees alive during the rainfall season. This shift reflects a long-term goal for urban forest resilience.
The campaign continues to monitor tree survival and adjust practices.
City spokesperson Emma Claudine said on 30 September that Igiti Cyanjye is part of the SUNCASA project. It has also seen 3,500 families plant fruit trees across communities. Seventy-six percent of the trees planted have survived. Officials report ongoing maintenance to improve outcomes.
Additionally, more than 6,000 green jobs have been created. This growth supports local economies and strengthens climate resilience. The program’s community involvement has grown through tree-planting drives and care schemes. Officials expect continued momentum in the coming quarters. The program plans to scale up maintenance tasks.
Officials want the rate raised to 85 percent this season. They will replace more than 200,000 damaged or failed trees and intensify care for those already established. These steps align with broader urban forestry goals. Monitoring will track survival rates and adjust management.
Planting a tree is only the beginning.
Moreover, keeping it alive is the real success, Claudine said.
She urged residents who see a young tree nearby to treat it as their own.
Water it, protect it, and help it grow.
The City of Kigali reinforced the message on 1 October as the September–December rains begin.
It noted that the campaign continues and that the rains should help nurture green spaces across the capital.
Igiti Cyanjye project overview
Igiti Cyanjye was launched in late October 2024 during monthly Umuganda community work. Residents and officials planted tens of thousands of trees in Kicukiro, Nyarugenge, and Gasabo.
This drive aligns with the city’s longer-term aim of adding millions of trees. It supports SUNCASA’s work restoring watersheds, reducing flood and erosion risk, and creating green employment. Local implementation involved partners including ARCOS Network, AVEGA-Agahozo, and Rwanda Young Water Professionals. It also received international support from the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the World Resources Institute, and Global Affairs Canada.
Supporting infrastructure has expanded alongside the plantings.
In late June 2026, One Acre Fund Rwanda opened a modern nursery in Busanza, Kicukiro.
Moreover, they worked with the Ministry of Environment, the Rwanda Forestry Authority, and the City of Kigali.
The project is linked to Igiti Cyanjye, Umurage Wanjye.
The facility is expected to produce more than one million seedlings annually.
This will support urban greening and landscape restoration.
City leaders have repeatedly framed the campaign as ownership rather than a one-day event. At the 2024 launch, Mayor Samuel Dusengiyumva described it as a call for residents of all ages to plant trees. Igiti Cyanjye underscores the initiative.
The latest figures suggest the volume target is advancing. The survival gap—from 76 percent toward the 85 percent goal—now defines the next phase.
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