TREE PLANTING AT NGONG HILLS

In support of the nationwide tree planting initiative aligned with the Government of Kenya’s ambitious goal of planting 15 billion trees by 2032, the International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC) conducted a successful tree planting exercise on 30 April 2025 at Ngong Hills.

In her remark, Director IPSTC Brigadier Joyce Sitienei addressed IPSTC staff, emphasizing the critical role of environmental stewardship in building a resilient future. She encouraged everyone to actively support the national tree planting agenda, highlighting that tree planting is not just a one-day activity, but a long-term commitment. “It is not enough to plant trees—we must also ensure they grow, thrive, and are protected.”

During the event, a total of 2,000 indigenous and environmentally suitable trees were planted. This effort underscores IPSTC’s continued commitment to environmental sustainability and the active contribution toward national climate resilience and reforestation goals. With this latest effort, the organization has cumulatively planted 15,200 trees to date, demonstrating sustained involvement in national environmental conservation efforts. The Centre remains dedicated to managing its allocated section and ensuring that its tree planting initiatives lead to lasting and measurable impact.

 

COUNTER-TERRORISM SYLLABUS VALIDATION WORKSHOP

This important event follows the collaborative efforts made in September last year, when a team of experts from the African Union and the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) Member States came together to develop a draft regional counter-terrorism training syllabus. Their objective was to create a unified, comprehensive guide for training security forces across the region to effectively respond to the evolving threats posed by terrorism and asymmetric warfare.

This week’s validation workshop brings together key stakeholders to critically review, refine, and validate the syllabus — ensuring it is both relevant and applicable to the needs of the EASF region. An additional focus of the workshop is to develop exercise papers, which were not completed during the drafting phase, thereby finalizing the syllabus and making it fully operational for training purposes.

VISIT BY THE DEFENCE ATTACHÉ OF THE NETHERLANDS TO KENYA

On 29 April 2025, the Defence Attaché of the Netherlands to Kenya, Lt Col Jeroen van der Nol, visited the Centre to present a painting as a symbol of the enduring partnership between the Netherlands and IPSTC.The gesture reflects the continued collaboration and mutual commitment to promoting peace and security in the region.During the visit, a farewell was also held in honour of the Deputy Defence Attaché Netherlands to Kenya, Captain Andrée Mulder, who has been a valued partner in advancing our shared goals. The Director IPSTC, Brigadier Joyce Sitienei, expressed her sincere appreciation to the Government of the Netherlands for their unwavering support and meaningful contributions to the Centre’s mission.

The event highlighted the deep ties and shared vision between the Netherlands and IPSTC, reaffirming the importance of international cooperation in addressing contemporary peace and security challenges.