NAIROBI, Kenya – A dispute has broken out over the management of Nairobi’s Karura Forest after the Friends of Karura Forest Association (FKF) accused the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) of sidelining it in decisions affecting the protected green space.
In a statement on Friday, FKF said the alleged takeover of management by KFS and the introduction of the e-Citizen digital payment system contravened the Karura Forest Management Plan (2021–2041), a legally recognised framework mandating joint oversight of the forest.
“This is not what we had agreed in our management framework. This move blatantly disregards the existing Karura Forest management plan, a 20-year agreement that clearly mandates joint management of the forest between KFS and Friends of Karura,” the association said.
FKF, a voluntary community-based group credited with helping restore security and conservation efforts in the forest, said it was not consulted before the changes were implemented.
On Friday, protests broke out inside the forest, with members chanting, carrying sticks, and banging plastic bins to express their anger. KFS officers were deployed to the scene.
KFS, in a separate statement, confirmed that Karura had joined the government’s online payments platform, saying the rollout was smooth and that visitors had already begun paying entry fees via e-Citizen.
The standoff highlights growing friction between government agencies and community associations over the management of natural resources.
FKF insists that its role in Karura’s conservation is safeguarded by law and that any unilateral move by KFS undermines years of participatory management.
Covering more than 1,000 hectares, Karura is Nairobi’s largest forest reserve and one of the city’s most important green spaces.
It has been co-managed by KFS and FKF for years, under a model lauded for balancing conservation with community involvement.
