NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 9 – The government has sought to reassure the public over recent land clearing activities inside Karura Forest, saying the work is intended to support a national tree seedling production programme and not residential development as widely speculated online.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa said the government plans to prepare roughly two to three acres within the forest to establish a large-scale seedling propagation site that will supply millions of trees for Kenya’s reforestation drive.
Speaking during an interview on NTV Kenya, Barasa dismissed claims circulating on social media that the government was opening up sections of the forest for residential projects.
“We are just clearing space to propagate between two million and ten million seedlings for us to green our city and ensure the forest is fully covered,” the CS stated.
She explained that the initiative will require a dedicated workforce, which is why the government also plans to set up temporary accommodation for officers from the National Youth Service who will be involved in running the project.
“To achieve the propagation of up to ten million seedlings, we require human resources, and that is why we are putting up temporary homes for NYS officers,” she said.
Barasa said the planned structures will only serve as temporary housing to facilitate the seedling propagation effort.
The project forms part of the government’s broader environmental agenda aimed at increasing Kenya’s forest cover from the current 20 per cent to about 30 per cent, while contributing to the national goal of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Forest Service has also addressed public concern over the recent activities in Karura, saying the works are linked to the expansion of tree nurseries across the country to support the government’s ambitious tree-planting programme.
In a statement issued last week, the agency said the project is designed to boost the production of tree seedlings while improving operational capacity within forest stations.
The clarification followed concerns raised by Friends of Karura Forest, a community forest association, which questioned what it described as unannounced clearing and possible tree felling inside the forest.
KFS said the ongoing works include the installation of prefabricated barracks made from metal containers to house NYS personnel who will assist in raising seedlings not only in Karura but also in other forest stations nationwide.
The agency cited Ngong Hills as another location where similar facilities for NYS officers are nearing completion.
According to the Service, the structures are being placed within already established administrative and residential zones inside the forest.
Protected Land
KFS maintained that the works have not involved the cutting down of trees, saying the exercise has only involved clearing old tree stumps and preparing land for nursery operations.
The agency further emphasised that there has been no excision of forest land, no allocation to private developers and no encroachment into indigenous forest areas or key conservation zones.
It added that expanding existing nurseries and setting up model propagation centres will help improve the production of indigenous, exotic and fruit tree seedlings while ensuring better irrigation, storage and protection of nursery sites.
KFS described the collaboration with the National Youth Service as a structured opportunity for young people to participate in environmental conservation efforts while supporting sustainable forest management under the Forest Conservation and Management Act and Article 69 of the Constitution of Kenya.
The Service insisted that Karura Forest remains protected public land and stressed that the activities currently underway do not amount to a change in land use or forest conversion.
However, Friends of Karura Forest has maintained that the clearing was carried out without proper notification to stakeholders.
The group said that over the past few days several indigenous trees appeared to have been cut down near the area where forest rangers reside.
According to the association, individuals carrying chainsaws were seen entering the forest, while heavy machinery was later used to remove stumps. The group alleged that access to the area was authorised by a KFS station manager while another team conducted a site assessment.
Friends of Karura also said that despite attending the most recent Joint Management Committee meeting with KFS, members were not informed about the planned works.