Nakuru, Kenya – President William Ruto announced on Monday that the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) will become financially self-sufficient by next year, operating solely on self-generated revenue.
This landmark move was highlighted during a KFS pass-out parade in Nakuru, where President Ruto commended the agency’s recent strides in tackling environmental crimes and building financial autonomy.
According to the President, illegal logging and related environmental crimes have fallen by 90% over the past two years, an achievement he attributes to KFS’s renewed commitment to environmental preservation and enforcement.
“I must congratulate KFS and its leadership for their achievements that are demonstrable,” President Ruto said, underscoring KFS’s significant progress.
While the exchequer has allocated KFS Sh280 million this year, the bulk of its Sh4.7 billion budget was raised independently by the agency.
He noted that, from 2025, KFS would no longer require direct financial support from the national exchequer.
The President urged KFS to set a precedent for other public agencies in achieving financial independence.
“You have the opportunity to change the course of KFS and make Kenya the environmental headquarters of the world,” he told the recruits, advising them to avoid issues of integrity, incompetence, and laxity, which have previously plagued the agency.
KFS, established under the Forest Act of 2005, has evolved from the former Forest Department, which was plagued by chronic underfunding due to reliance on forest revenue alone.
However, the 2005 Act brought reforms, establishing special funds such as the Water Towers Conservation Fund and the Mau Rehabilitation Trust Fund to support forest rehabilitation and environmental conservation efforts.
This landmark move was highlighted during a KFS pass-out parade in Nakuru, where President Ruto commended the agency’s recent strides in tackling environmental crimes and building financial autonomy.
According to the President, illegal logging and related environmental crimes have fallen by 90% over the past two years, an achievement he attributes to KFS’s renewed commitment to environmental preservation and enforcement.
“I must congratulate KFS and its leadership for their achievements that are demonstrable,” President Ruto said, underscoring KFS’s significant progress.
While the exchequer has allocated KFS Sh280 million this year, the bulk of its Sh4.7 billion budget was raised independently by the agency.
He noted that, from 2025, KFS would no longer require direct financial support from the national exchequer.
The President urged KFS to set a precedent for other public agencies in achieving financial independence.
“You have the opportunity to change the course of KFS and make Kenya the environmental headquarters of the world,” he told the recruits, advising them to avoid issues of integrity, incompetence, and laxity, which have previously plagued the agency.
KFS, established under the Forest Act of 2005, has evolved from the former Forest Department, which was plagued by chronic underfunding due to reliance on forest revenue alone.
However, the 2005 Act brought reforms, establishing special funds such as the Water Towers Conservation Fund and the Mau Rehabilitation Trust Fund to support forest rehabilitation and environmental conservation efforts.
