KFS clarifies Karura payments shift will not affect forest management amid uproar
According to KFS, the new system introduces digital payment options via phone and card, with an average wait time of about one minute. Lemarkoko said this was meant to improve efficiency while maintaining the positive visitor experience Karura has become known for.
The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has moved to clarify that the recent changes in Karura Forest payments will not affect its management structure or day-to-day operations.
According to KFS, “the only change is the payment platform itself; all other aspects of Karura Forest management will remain the same.”
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Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko said the only adjustment is that all entry, parking, and service fees will now be paid through the government’s eCitizen platform, following a directive from the National Treasury to phase out alternative payment channels.
Lemarkoko visited Karura Forest at dawn to oversee the transition and meet with visitors, service providers, scouts, and KFS teams.
He emphasised that the forest, which is jointly managed by KFS and the Friends of Karura Forest (FKF) Community Forest Association, would continue to operate as usual.
The Chief Conservator further clarified that the change does not affect staff employed in the forest. “All staff, including scouts, clerks, cleaners, and contract employees, will be retained.”
Visitors with annual passes will also continue using them until they expire.
According to KFS, the new system introduces digital payment options via phone and card, with an average wait time of about one minute. Lemarkoko said this was meant to improve efficiency while maintaining the positive visitor experience Karura has become known for.
He encouraged users of the forest to actively provide feedback as the system is rolled out.
The clarification comes amid tension between KFS and conservation groups.
On Friday, the Friends of Karura (FKF) Forest and the Green Belt Movement accused the agency of a unilateral takeover, saying the move violated the Karura Forest Management Plan (2021–2041), a legally binding agreement that mandates joint management between KFS and FKF.
FKF warned that excluding community participation undermines decades of progress in transforming Karura from a crime-ridden no-go zone, once infamous for violent robberies and even the dumping of 18 bodies, into a safe and thriving urban forest.
GBM echoed the concerns, describing the takeover as an attempt to dismantle a globally recognised co-management model.
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