KFS may manage private forests under new law to boost revenue

Kenya Forest Service (KFS) could soon expand its role beyond managing state-owned forests, with new proposals before Parliament seeking to allow the agency to develop forests on private and community land as part of efforts to raise revenue and strengthen conservation.

The proposed amendment to the Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2016, introduces a clause enabling KFS to provide “technical assistance to the county governments and individual owners of private land in the development of agro-forestry and commercial forestry in private land and community land.”

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, who tabled the proposal, said the move would widen KFS’s functions to include collaboration with counties and private landowners in expanding forest cover while generating new income for the institution.

“The Bill proposes an amendment to Section 8 which seeks to provide for certain additional functions of [the] Service, including development of agro-forestry and commercial forestry in private and community land, in collaboration with respective county governments and the individual owners of private forests,” Ichung’wah stated.

Traditionally, KFS has been limited to the management and protection of state forests. However, Ichung’wah explained that the changes were intended to reflect “modern realities and contemporary global discourse on forest conservation and management.”

Under the proposed law, the Environment and Forestry Cabinet Secretary would gain powers to designate KFS officers as uniformed and disciplined staff,  authority that previously lay with the Interior Cabinet Secretary.

At present, only KFS rangers are recognized as uniformed or disciplined officers, alongside the Kenya Defense Forces, Police, Prisons Service, and Kenya Wildlife Service rangers.

Those designated under the new system would undergo compulsory training and take an oath of office.

The Bill also introduces tougher penalties for forest crimes. The minimum fine for illegal logging or other forest violations will rise from Sh100,000 to Sh1 million, with jail terms increasing from six months to not less than one year.

Additionally, importing or exporting prohibited forest products would attract a fine of at least Sh5 million or imprisonment of three years.

Private forests will now enjoy the same legal protections as public forests, with encroachers or violators subject to prosecution.

The reforms are expected to support Kenya’s target of expanding forest cover from 7.2 million hectares to 10.6 million hectares, a commitment made to the International Monetary Fund in exchange for an Sh83 billion loan to enhance climate resilience.

KFS has struggled with financing since the ban on logging, depending heavily on exchequer allocations and forest entry fees. Officials believe diversifying revenue sources through partnerships with counties and private landowners could ease financial strain while bolstering conservation efforts.