KFS accuses Friends of Karura Forest of financial fraud, cites audit as reason for eCitizen move

KFS Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko during a past press briefing. (Photo: KFS)

By Lucy Mumbi
Tuesday, September 2, 2025

KFS Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko said the audit also revealed that FKF failed to submit budgets and work plans for KFS approval, and did not provide certified accounts, creating major contractual deviations.

The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has now revealed that Friends of Karura Forest (FKF) has been involved in fraudulent financial practices, prompting the agency to fully migrate Karura Forest’s fee collection to the government’s eCitizen platform.

Speaking on Tuesday during an interview with Citizen TV, KFS Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko said the service conducted an audit into the management of funds at Karura and uncovered serious irregularities.

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“There was a fraudulent financial practice involving public funds collected by FKF. There was manipulation and misrepresentation of surplus revenue, willful non-disclosure of financial records, failure to submit work plans, and absence of certified accounts, bank balances, and internal financial systems. This is a major deviation from the joint management agreement,” Lemarkoko said.

He indicated that the audit also revealed that FKF failed to submit budgets and work plans for KFS approval, and did not provide certified accounts, creating major contractual deviations.

“Although we agree with FKF as joint managers, one party has been frustrating the contract between us,” Lemarkoko said.

He accused FKF of not telling the truth, noting that while they claim Karura Forest is being “grabbed,” they have failed to disclose their own financial mismanagement.

“FKF is not informing Kenyans about the issues that have been unveiled. They are only spreading falsehoods about Karura being grabbed and even claim there is a road going through the forest, which is not true. You cannot grab a forest under the current Forest Conservation and Management Act,” he said.

Lemarkoko also noted that FKF had been consulted extensively over the eCitizen migration process, dismissing their claims of exclusion as unfounded. He explained that the eCitizen migration is a legal requirement following a government directive to digitise all public services.

“All 1,179 forest stations have now migrated. Karura took longer because FKF initially resisted and needed time to understand the process. After consultations with them, our ministry, and the director from our ministry, the migration is now complete,” he said.

On concerns over staff employed under the joint management system, Lemarkoko said the transition does not affect employment.

“All collections will now be through eCitizen, but this does not deny FKF or Karura employees their employment. They will continue to work, and KFS will facilitate this through the joint account,” he said.

Former FKF chair Professor Karanja Njoroge has warned of uncertainty for over 500 workers, including 122 scouts and about 400 women from local communities, who rely on joint revenue for salaries and forest operations.

“The jointly managed funds were used for security, general operations, and infrastructure management, including maintaining the electric fence, forest access logistics, and ecosystem regeneration. Implementation contracts are in the name of FKF, making it contractually liable for the obligations,” he said.

He argued that the move undermines their 20-year joint management agreement and raised concerns over fee increases.

“Adult entry fees have risen from Sh100 to Sh174, while children’s fees have more than doubled from Sh50 to Sh116 due to the Sh50 eCitizen platform charge and 16 per cent VAT. This could prevent Kenyans from enjoying one of the largest urban forests in the world,” he said.