NAIROBI, Kenya — Communities living next to forests could soon receive direct financial incentives for conserving the environment if Parliament passes a new law.
The Forest Conservation and Management Bill, 2025 seeks to introduce a payment-for-ecosystem-services model, compensating residents and landowners who help protect forests.
The initiative is designed to reward conservation efforts such as water catchment protection, soil stability, and carbon absorption.
Under the draft law, the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) will design the payment scheme in collaboration with stakeholders.
The framework will then be incorporated into policy by the Cabinet Secretary for Forestry in consultation with the National Treasury.
“The institute shall, in collaboration with stakeholders, establish a framework for the payment for ecosystem service schemes in public, community and private forests,” the Bill states.
Who benefits?
Beneficiaries will include forest-edge communities, particularly those organized in Community Forest Associations (CFAs).
The government says this approach will not only reward environmental stewardship but also strengthen livelihoods.
The Bill comes as President William Ruto’s administration continues its push for 15 billion trees by 2032, with two nationwide tree-planting campaigns already rolled out.
Stronger enforcement and new structures
The Bill also proposes:
- Tougher penalties: Offenders caught engaging in illegal logging, grazing, cultivation, or unlicensed activities in protected forests will face fines of up to Sh1 million (up from the current Sh100,000) or jail terms. Exporting or importing restricted forest products will attract a Sh5 million fine or three years in prison.
- Reorganisation of Kenya Forest Service (KFS): The forestry CS will have powers to designate some officers as uniformed and disciplined staff, who must undergo mandatory training and take an oath of office.
- Infrastructure provisions: KFS will be allowed to issue easements for public projects such as roads and utility lines in forest areas.
- New institutions: The law will create a Kenya Forest Academy to train officers and an Office of the Director of Forest Regulation to enforce compliance and certification standards.
Why it matters
The Bill’s introduction comes amid rising concern over human activities in Karura and Ngong forests, where disputes over encroachment and mismanagement have raised alarms.
If approved, the legislation could mark a turning point in how Kenya manages its forests—turning conservation into a source of income for local communities while tightening penalties for illegal exploitation.
