The objective of this study was to assess household tree planting for fuelwood production and
investigate current constraints to tree establishment in Kiambu, Thika and Maragwa Districts of Central
Kenya. The study was undertaken through household survey in Kiambu, Thika and Maragwa Districts
of Central Kenya. The districts were purposively sampled on the basis of various factors which include
diverse ecological conditions and population densities among others. Sampling of the households was
done using multistage stratified random sampling technique where stratification was based on the
weights in socio-economic and climatic activities as indicators. The results of the study showed that
over 90% of the households in the three districts have planted trees in their farms and tree planting was
found to be positively correlated to household farm size. Boundary tree planting was the most
preferred as compared to woodlots which had the least preference. Grevillea robusta and Eucalyptus
species were the most preferred tree species. Inadequate land was the leading major obstacles to tree
planting in the three districts with 74, 60 and 57% of the household respondents followed by scarcity of
seedlings with 16, 33 and 28% in Kiambu, Thika and Maragwa districts, respectively. The third most
important constraint was tree establishment cost. The household land size ownership varied among
the districts with a range of 1.9 to 3.6 acres. The small household land holdings indicate the need to
integrate woodfuel production with farming systems as agricultural sector has a key role in
supplementing wood production. The study was concluded by recommending development of
decentralised woodfuel planning with site specific implementation strategies in the study area as there
were varying tree planting parameters among the districts. Establishment of tree nurseries was also
recommended for a sustainable seedling production.