As Bank of Kigali (BK) Plc celebrates six decades of operations in Rwanda this year, the bank has marked the milestone with a renewed environmental pledge, planting about 3,500 trees in Kigali.

On Saturday, February 28, the country’s largest commercial bank organised a special community work exercise in Nyenyeri and Juru villages, Kamukina Cell, Kimihurura Sector, where staff and partners planted trees as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations.

The exercise, held near Select Hotel, forms part of celebrations that officially began on January 23 and have since rolled out nationwide.

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The conservation drive brought together BK staff and management alongside BK Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the BK Group, officials from the City of Kigali, Officials from Rwanda Forestry, and members of the Ethiopian Embassy in Kigali, reflecting a broad coalition committed to environmental protection.

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Speaking at the event, Diane Karusisi, the Chief Executive Officer of BK Plc, described the milestone as both a moment of reflection and a renewed commitment to sustainable nation-building.

"All of you who came to join us, we are very happy to partner with you in this tree-planting activity. This is just the beginning,” she said. "This year we are celebrating 60 years of Bank of Kigali working hand in hand with Rwandans to build the nation.”

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Looking back over six decades, Karusisi noted that the bank’s growth has closely mirrored Rwanda’s own transformation.

"BK has grown alongside the country and its people, so that together we could build our nation,” she said. "And we want to continue building a good, sustainable country, a lasting bright future, so that our children and grandchildren will find it in good condition.”

She emphasised that trees are not symbolic gestures but living investments that protect and strengthen the land, preserve soil, and improve livelihoods for surrounding communities.

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Ingrid Karangwayire, the Executive Secretary of BK Foundation, said sustainability is embedded in the group’s community interventions.

"As BK as a whole group, we take sustainability as a serious matter for the livelihoods of the communities that we serve. Everything that we think of has to have some sustainability in it,” she said.

Under its Save Environment Initiative, the foundation plans to plant close to 120,000 trees this year across the country.

"But it’s not permitting us to stop. If we could plant all the millions that we have to plant, we would totally do it,” she added, noting that environmental clubs will also be established in schools to instil conservation values among young people. "We are creating a better future for the future generations.”

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The City of Kigali official underscored the importance of collective action in achieving urban greening targets.

Fulgence Dusabimana, Vice Mayor in charge of Urbanisation and Infrastructure, said the city aims to plant three million trees over the next five years, a target he believes is attainable.

"In this season alone, without even counting what we are currently planting, we have already reached 741,000. This means it is possible, we can plant many more, and there is no problem with planting trees, the consequences are all positive,” he said.

He urged residents and developers to leave space for greenery in construction projects. "If you leave 20 per cent of a plot for planting trees and grass, and your neighbour does the same, then after some years you see houses surrounded by greenery,” he said, cautioning against covering every available metre with concrete.

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The Ethiopian Ambassador to Rwanda, Mesfin Gebremariam Shawo, also commended the initiative, saying it reflects "the commitment that both Rwanda and Ethiopia have in advancing environmental protection in their own countries,” while noting the extensive tree-planting efforts undertaken in both nations.

"This activity demonstrates the strong commitment that both Rwanda and Ethiopia share in advancing environmental protection. In both our countries, conservation is no longer an option, it is becoming a norm and a national priority,” the Ambassador said.

"Rwanda annually plants millions of tree seedlings across the country, and in Ethiopia, over the past seven years, we have planted more than 40 billion trees. These are not just numbers, they represent a shared vision for climate resilience and sustainable development.”