Gov’t Explains 3-Acre Tree Clearing Inside Karura Forest

The Ministry of Environment has explained the clearing of a section of trees inside Karura Forest.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, March 9, Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa said the cleared area will be used to establish a large-scale seedling propagation site that will supply millions of trees.

"In Karura, we cleared space for us to propagate 2 to 10 million seedlings for us to green our city and ensure that the forest is well covered," she said.

Barasa clarified that the cleared land covers only a small portion of the forest and is specifically meant for a nursery that will produce millions of seedlings to support national tree-planting efforts.

"Around 2 to 3 acres is being cleared to propagate around 5 million seedlings to plant in our highways, to plant in our highways, schools, institutions, and urban cities," she added.

This comes days after the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) moved to clarify the status of ongoing construction works within its headquarters at Karura Forest.

In a statement on Thursday, February 26, KFS stated that the current construction involves housing facilities for National Youth Service (NYS) personnel who will collaborate with the agency in environmental restoration efforts.

The agency explained that the initiative is not limited to Karura but is part of a broader national rollout across multiple forest stations.

"Currently, there is development of barracks for National Youth Service (NYS) personnel who will be partnering with the Service to support the raising of tree seedlings.

"Setting up of barracks for NYS is happening not only in Karura forest, but in other forest stations around the country including Ngong Hills forest where the barracks are nearing completion," the statement read.

According to KFS, the collaboration with NYS is intended to increase labour capacity for seedling production in line with Kenya’s long-term environmental targets.

"The partnership between KFS and NYS is meant to provide labour and boost tree seedling production to support realization of the national strategy of growing 15 billion trees by 2032 for realization of 30 percent tree cover," the statement added.

KFS further clarified that the structures under construction are temporary in nature and located within an already designated administrative and residential zone at the headquarters.

"The barracks are being set up in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and they consist of prefabricated metal containers and the works are confined to an existing administrative and residential service zone," the statement continued.

Responding directly to allegations of land grabbing, forest excision, or encroachment into conservation areas, KFS dismissed the claims, maintaining that no protected sections of Karura Forest have been affected.

"There has been no excision of Karura forest land, allocation to private developers or encroachment into protected indigenous forest or core conservation areas as alleged by a section of the civil society. In addition, no trees have been felled, only removal of old tree stumps," the statement further read.