Advocacy Manager at the Green Belt Movement, Job Mwangi, has warned that proposed amendments to Kenya’s Forest Conservation and Management Act could weaken protections for public forests and open them up to more development. He says the changes introduce broad terms such as “public installations” and “easements” that could increase land loss and put pressure on key water catchment areas.
Speaking on Wednesday during an interview at Radio Generation, Mwangi linked the proposed changes to long-standing disputes over forest land, saying conservation groups have repeatedly gone to court to stop encroachment into gazetted forests. He argued that this shows continued pressure on protected ecosystems despite existing legal safeguards.
The Green Belt Movement, founded in 1977 by women under the National Women Council, focuses on restoring degraded land, improving livelihoods, and protecting water catchment areas. Mwangi said the organisation has planted over 51 million trees since its formation and continues to work on environmental restoration and advocacy.
He identified major water towers, including Mount Kenya, the Aberdares, and the Mau complex, as critical ecosystems that supply most of the country’s water and require strict protection. He also cited official figures indicating that “about 556 hectares of forest land have been illegally taken” and that only “77 out of 2,065 forest blocks have been titled,” pointing to ongoing governance gaps.
Mwangi referred to past disputes involving infrastructure projects in protected forests, including the expansion of Kiambu Road, which he said raised concerns over forest land allocation. He noted that courts intervened and ruled that only limited use of land should be allowed.
“The judge actually argued they should only use the road reserve… 0.012 to 0.3 hectares,” he stated, adding that courts have repeatedly stepped in to limit encroachment into forests. He also pointed to ongoing legal disputes involving proposed roads through forest ecosystems, including the Aberdares, Karura Forest, and surrounding areas.
He said conservationists continue to question whether such projects meet legal and environmental standards, arguing that alternatives are often ignored during planning.
Mwangi’s main concern is that the proposed amendments would expand the powers of the Kenya Forest Service to authorise the use of forest land for public infrastructure. The Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2016, currently provides for protection, conservation, and sustainable use of forest resources, including public, community, and private forests.
The Kenya Forest Service is the main agency responsible for licensing, protection, and regulation of forest use. The law also requires environmental impact assessments before any non-forest activities are approved.
Mwangi pointed to clauses allowing “authorization for easements for public roads and public installations” and “authorization for public utility,” saying the wording is too broad and could weaken existing safeguards.
He warned that the changes could make it easier to approve projects inside protected forests, especially where similar proposals have previously been blocked in court.
He also said some existing permits, including timber licences, special use permits, and concessions, are already being misused in certain cases. “These things that are being given here are very temporal in nature,” he said, noting that most permits last between three and five years.
Mwangi said the amendments may be influenced by repeated court rulings that have blocked developments in forest areas. He added that conservation groups have participated in public consultations on the Bill but remain concerned key issues have not been fully addressed.
He urged lawmakers to reconsider the provisions, warning they could weaken forest conservation, water catchment protection, and environmental governance.
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