In the misty slopes of Kessup Forest in Elgeyo Marakwet County, the sound of shovels, seedlings and cheering voices gave way to relief on Thursday after environmentalist Hillary Kiplagat Kibiwott completed a gruelling 24-hour tree-planting challenge, recording 23,326 trees in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record.
Mr Kibiwot, co-founder of the Green Earth Ambassadors Foundation, began the challenge at exactly 11am on Wednesday in a cleared 50-acre plantation within the wider Kaptagat ecosystem and finished at 11am on Thursday.
Dressed in a tracksuit, with a shovel in hand and thousands of seedlings prepared in advance, he undertook the tightly monitored endurance challenge under the watch of conservation officials and supporters.
The previous Guinness World Record stands at 23,060 trees planted in 24 hours, set by Canadian Antoine Moses on July 17, 2021. With 23,326 trees planted, Mr Kibiwot surpassed that mark by 266 trees.
Guinness World Record attempt: Hilary Kiplagat Biwott during his bid to plant 24,000 tree seedlings in 24 hours at Kessup Forest.
Photo credit: Jarred Nyataya| Nation Media Group
However, the new record remains subject to official verification and ratification by Guinness World Records before it can be formally recognised.
Officials from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Forest Conservation Committees (FCC), and the Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme (KICP) monitored the exercise throughout the 24-hour period.
Their role was to document, verify and audit every tree planted at regular intervals to ensure the attempt complied with the strict standards required for Guinness World Records recognition.
Hilary Kiplagat Kibiwott is congratulated by Treasury Principal Secretary Dr Chris Kiptoo (second right) and others upon completing his tree planting bid.
Photo credit: Jarred Nyataya| Nation Media Group
“The monitoring process was to ensure the initiative adhered to the global standards required in setting the Guinness World Record,” said Vincent Chelimo, one of the conservation officials at the site.
The challenge drew widespread public attention, with Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wesley Rotich leading residents, sponsors and conservation groups in supporting the environmentalist throughout the exercise.
“Apart from attempting to break the Guinness World Record, the initiative is aimed at promoting environmental conservation and addressing the effects of global warming through tree planting,” Governor Rotich said.
Despite the physical strain, the atmosphere remained festive, with songs and chants from supporters echoing through the plantation as Mr Kibiwot pressed on through the night.
For Mr Kibiwot, the challenge was about more than setting a record.
“The initiative goes beyond an attempt to set a world record. It is part of a sustainable environmental conservation effort,” he said before completing the challenge.
Observers said every planting session was recorded and validated, with the data now forming part of the submission that will be sent to Guinness World Records for final review.
President William Ruto’s administration has pledged to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 in a bid to raise national forest cover to 30 per cent.
The plan requires roughly 1.7 billion trees to be planted annually as part of a broader climate restoration strategy.
Official figures show that by April 2025, the National Tree Growing and Restoration Campaign had recorded 783 million trees planted, underscoring both the scale of the ambition and the challenge of meeting it.
