Friends of Karura Forest raise alarm over sudden revenue shift
While KFS says the policy shift aims to improve transparency and prevent revenue leakages, conservation groups argue that such an abrupt transition undermines long-standing partnerships and could threaten the sustainable management of public forests.
Operations at Karura Forest face possible disruption after the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) announced that all gate entry, parking, and service payments will now be made exclusively through the government’s eCitizen platform.
The directive, shared on KFS social media in the early hours of August 28, takes effect immediately, leaving the Friends of Karura Forest (FKF) concerned over the sudden change.
FKF, the community trust that has co-managed Karura Forest for over ten years, said it was neither consulted nor notified before the move.
In a statement, the group warned that transferring all revenue to the government would leave it without funds to pay staff, service providers, and contractors.
“We expect this unilateral decision by KFS to severely disrupt all forest operations,” FKF said. “We apologize for any inconvenience to our visitors and encourage inquiries or complaints to be directed to KFS.”
While KFS says the policy shift aims to improve transparency and prevent revenue leakages, conservation groups argue that such an abrupt transition undermines long-standing partnerships and could threaten the sustainable management of public forests.
It also remains unclear how revenue collected through eCitizen will be allocated back to forest operations or whether FKF will continue participating in day-to-day management.
The uncertainty has raised concerns about the future of one of Nairobi’s most important green spaces.
