KITUI, Kenya — The Kenya Forest Service (KFS), in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has intensified efforts to promote Melia timber as a sustainable alternative to imported hardwoods, concluding a two-day awareness tour in Kitui County.
The tour, held from February 3 to 4, 2026, was conducted under the SFS-CORECC Project, a government-led initiative aimed at strengthening commercial forestry and climate resilience. It brought together key players in the timber value chain, including timber dealers, furniture manufacturers, and traders from Nairobi’s major upmarket hubs along Ngong Road and Utawala.
KFS said the engagement was designed to familiarise market actors with the characteristics, commercial potential, and sustainable utilisation of Melia timber, which is increasingly being positioned as a substitute for mahogany.
According to forestry officials, Melia has physical and mechanical properties comparable to mahogany, a premium hardwood largely imported from the Congo Basin and currently dominant in Nairobi’s high-end furniture market.
However, KFS warned that future supplies of mahogany remain uncertain due to mounting pressure on natural forests, tighter conservation rules, and restrictions on harvesting and trade.
“Promoting sustainably grown Melia provides a locally available and environmentally responsible alternative for furniture making and other high-value wood products,” KFS officials told participants during the tour.
The programme included a briefing at the KFS Kitui Office, where stakeholders received presentations on Melia production, processing, and value addition. Participants later visited timber yards, furniture workshops, and a showroom within Kitui town to assess processing standards, finished products, and prevailing market dynamics.
The delegation also toured Nyumbani Village, where participants interacted with community-based timber processing initiatives, observed practical applications of Melia timber, and visited mature Melia plantations. A feedback session held at the site captured lessons, challenges, and recommendations from traders and manufacturers.
Several participants expressed optimism about the species, noting that a consistent supply would be key to market uptake. Many pledged to adopt Melia timber for furniture production once availability stabilises.
The tour was led by SFS-CORECC project officers under the guidance of Commercial Forestry Promotion Manager Beatrice Atemo, alongside JICA expert Mochizuki and JICA Kenya Office representatives Osindi and Ose.
KFS said the initiative aligns with broader national priorities, including sustainable livelihoods, greening of arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), and responsible forest resource management. It also supports the government’s ambitious 15-billion-tree growing programme under the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy.
The Service reiterated that expanding the use of locally grown hardwood species such as Melia is critical to reducing reliance on imports, easing pressure on natural forests, and building a resilient, climate-smart forestry sector in Kenya.
