Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa has defended the decision to clear land at Karura Forest, saying the move is part of efforts to strengthen seedling production under the government’s 15 billion tree-growing campaign.
Barasa said about three acres of land in the forest have been cleared to set up a tree nursery expected to produce five million seedlings and to construct temporary housing for personnel from the National Youth Service (NYS).
She explained that the initiative is aimed at fast-tracking the restoration of ecosystems across the country, covering drylands, wetlands, coastal areas, and both high- and low-altitude regions.
"The 15 billion tree growing campaign is bringing to life the spirit of Professor Wangari Maathai when it comes to the restoration of our ecosystem. It is bringing to life all the forests across the country, talking about the dry lands, wet lands, coastal, high, and low lands. We need a lot of seedlings. We need to mobilise and strategise all the forest stations to produce 2 million to 10 million seedlings, one of them being Karura forest,” she said during an interview at NTV.
Barasa noted that the programme’s success relies on having large numbers of seedlings available, prompting the government to mobilise forest stations nationwide to increase production.
She said the Karura nursery will supply seedlings for tree planting initiatives across the country.
She added that temporary housing for NYS personnel is necessary to provide the workforce required to manage and nurture millions of seedlings.
"We have cleared around two to three acres at Karura Forest to propagate around 5 million seedlings to plant across the country. We need temporary homes for NYS. For us to achieve two to ten million seedlings, we need human resource capacity to do that. These are temporary homes. The land being cleared at Karura Forest is to put up the temporary homes together with the nursery,” Barasa said.
The CS emphasized that the cleared land will host both the nursery and the temporary housing to support large-scale seedling propagation for the national tree-growing programme.
However, concerns have been raised by the Friends of Karura Forest (FKF), who called on the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to consult the Community Forest Association (CFA) before implementing new projects in the forest. FKF warned that uncoordinated actions could undermine citizen-led conservation efforts.
Speaking during Wangari Maathai Day celebrations, FKF Chairperson Professor Karanja Njoroge highlighted the importance of participatory forest management under the Kenya Forest Act.
“We exist under the Kenya Forest Act, which allows forest stations to be governed through participatory management. Any initiative must be discussed with the CFA first,” Njoroge said.
He traced Karura’s history to January 1998, when Nobel Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai challenged land allocations that threatened the forest. Njoroge said the CFA, registered in 2009, has helped transform Karura into one of Kenya’s most visited urban forests, attracting 75,000 to 80,000 visitors monthly.
The forest supports 123 employees and 315 community members who earn a living from it, funds scholarships for local children, and underpins broader community development initiatives.
“Karura is not just a forest; it is a source of livelihood for many people. Ignoring the CFA in planning risks undoing 17 years of volunteer and pro bono effort,” Njoroge said.
Board member Sansi Dietz added that participatory management has turned Karura from a “no-go zone” into a thriving and safe environment. She noted that existing tree nurseries within the forest and at KFS headquarters are sufficient for replanting indigenous species.
FKF’s concerns arise as KFS plans to house NYS personnel in the forest to raise two million tree seedlings.