Karura Forest: Why the new management model has raised alarm

Karura Forest, long celebrated as a model for community-led conservation, is at the centre of fresh controversy after the State Department of Forestry officially took over its management from the Friends of Karura Community Forest Association (FKFCFA).

The move has raised alarm among conservationists and local leaders, who warn that sidelining the community threatens to undo decades of hard-won progress and erode public trust.

“Guns never protected Karura forest reserve, and they won’t. It’s the people who always have, and always will,” said Karura Ward MCA Fiu Nifiu.

 “Disrupting the community-led model only risks reversing the gains. Instead, the State Department of Forestry should be asking: how can Karura’s success be replicated in other threatened forests across Kenya?”

The takeover was announced after the ministry endorsed 11 recommendations that ended FKFCFA’s role in daily management.

"If Karura forest, one of the most successful community-led forest conservation and management models, can be undermined, what message does that send to other communities protecting our forests?” Fiu Nifiu questioned.

For more than 15 years, FKFCFA has co-managed Karura with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), turning the woodland into Nairobi’s most cherished urban green space.

Under the community-led model, the forest has offered safe trails, clean air, biodiversity protection, and livelihoods to residents from surrounding areas , including Huruma, Githogoro, Runda, and Muthaiga.

“We are growing increasingly concerned about what will happen to Karura going forward, as there is no clear path for how it is being managed,” said Professor Karanja Njoroge, a longtime supporter of the FKFCFA.

“We need to urgently get Friends of Karura in again to jointly manage the forest’s day-to-day operations and work with the local communities.”

The forest is deeply symbolic. In the 1990s, Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai and local activists fought violent battles against developers to save Karura, cementing its reputation as a victory for people-powered conservation. Critics now fear that history is being betrayed.

Controversy has intensified over the construction of tarmac roads inside the reserve.

Conservationists argue that carving roads into the forest undermines its identity as a sanctuary for nature and recreation.

Yet, in a statement on Thursday, September 4, the Chief Conservator of Forests, Alex Lemarkoko, dismissed fears of disruption, insisting that the new arrangements would not affect workers or visitors.

“The Service has informed the CFA leadership that all budgetary provisions as per the submitted annual work plan and budget for 2025/2026 will be honoured and funded accordingly,” Lemarkoko stated.

“The Service has also endeavoured to reassure all employees of the CFA of the continuity of their jobs, and I can confirm that there will be no job losses.”

He added that despite some CFA staff failing to report back to work despite calls from management, normal operations at Karura remain seamless, with visitors continuing to enjoy recreational activities.

“Kenya Forest Service is committed to developing the ecotourism potential of various urban forests to ensure city dwellers enjoy serene green spaces, and the Service calls upon all partners to support this endeavour,” Lemarkoko said.

The tug-of-war over Karura raises larger questions about how Kenya protects its green spaces. Community forest associations, born out of the Forests Act, have long been celebrated as grassroots models of conservation.

Karura, especially, has been proof that when government and communities work together, conservation wins.

To dismantle that partnership, critics warn, risks unravelling decades of progress.

But KFS maintains that the forest is safe, jobs are secure, and conservation gains will be protected.

However, stakeholders say the changes were made without adequate public participation, a move they describe as opaque and contrary to the spirit of community ownership enshrined in the Forests Act.

Karura’s fate has reignited debates on the future of Kenya’s green spaces.

 Community forest associations across the country have been credited with improving conservation outcomes by involving local residents directly in protecting ecosystems.

Many fear that dismantling the Karura model could set a precedent that weakens grassroots stewardship nationwide.

To many Kenyans, Karura is more than just a forest. It is a national memory, a symbol of resistance, and a promise to future generations.

As thousands continue to jog, walk, and cycle along its trails, a shadow of uncertainty hangs over the sanctuary they fought to reclaim.