Friends of Karura oppose KFS's forceful takeover of forest after years of community-led conservation

Friends of Karura Forest have strongly opposed the Kenya Forest Service’s (KFS) takeover of Karura Forest, calling it unlawful and a threat to decades of community-led conservation.

This is after KFS said that from August 29, 2025, all payments for gate entry, parking, and other services, including the Sigiria block, must be made exclusively through the government’s eCitizen Paybill number 222222.

The KFS explained that the move is part of a nationwide effort to improve transparency, security, and efficiency in public revenue collection.

“This transition is part of a nationwide initiative to improve transparency, security, and efficiency in public service delivery while making your experience more convenient,” KFS said.

“All other activities and services in Karura Forest will continue as usual, and our collaboration with the Community Forest Association remains unchanged,” the service added.

But Friends of Karura Forest has described KFS’s latest move as a disregard of both law and community effort, warning that such unilateral actions threaten to undermine the security, management, and progress that have defined the forest for nearly two decades.

The community group warned that excluding it from forest management risks “undermining decades of hard-won progress, transparency, and accountability.”

The group emphasised that the forest’s management has long been a shared responsibility under the Kenya Forest Conservation and Management Act of 2005, which was championed by the late Professor Wangari Maathai.

Friends of Karura Forest recalled that Maathai “almost lost her life in this forest, stopping it from being grabbed” and that her efforts, alongside those of citizens, were instrumental in saving Karura from total destruction.

Before the community association became co-managers, Friends of Karura said the forest was essentially a no-go zone. Users who entered were exposed to violent robbery, assaults, and even murder. Dead bodies were sometimes discovered, and despite KFS or ministry presence, nothing was done to address the dangers.

“Karura Forest was not a place anyone could wish to be in,” the association said, recounting how some mothers would warn children, “If you cry, I’ll take you to Karura.”

Since taking up management responsibilities, Friends of Karura Forest said they have invested over Sh37 million in constructing an electric fence, entirely without government support, making the forest safe and welcoming for visitors.

The group also noted recent legal victories defending the forest, including jointly with the Green Belt Movement successfully defending 51.64 acres of Karura against excision for the proposed Kiambu Road expansion, as decided by Justice Anne Omollo on August 14, 2025, in Petition E042 of 2024. The group is also pursuing court action over the illegal tarmacking of internal trails at Gate 15, describing the activity as carried out “without any cause, rationale.”

The group appealed to the Kenyan public, civil society, conservation partners, and the international community to stand with them in protecting Karura Forest, stressing that “Karura’s history is a reminder that our forests are never safe without vigilance” and that the forest “remains a sanctuary for people, wildlife, and future generations.”

The Green Belt Movement (GBM) has also highlighted that Karura Forest is a product of “blood, sweat, and sacrifice,” recalling the efforts of the late Professor Wangari Maathai and citizens who risked their lives to defend it from destruction.

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"Their determination ensured that Karura remained standing, and today it thrives as a symbol of what is possible when people stand together for the environment," said GBM in a statement.

The movement noted that the co-management model with the Friends of Karura turned the forest into a global model of public-community collaboration, hosting over 70,000 visitors every month, including families, schoolchildren, athletes, and nature lovers.

"Before the partnership, Karura was unsafe, deserted, and riddled with crime. At one time, 18 bodies were discovered dumped in the forest. The progress we see today is the direct result of a visionary co-management model that put people and conservation first," said GBM.