The Green Belt Movement has intensified pressure on the government over a proposed amendment to the Forest Conservation and Management Act, warning that the changes could expose public forests to widespread destruction.
In a statement on Wednesday, May 13, the lobby group said the proposed amendment to Section 56 (2) of the Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2016, would grant the Kenya Forest Service authority to approve easements for public roads, utilities and other installations inside public forests.
The organization opposed the proposal and warned that it could weaken protections for critical ecosystems across the country.
"The Green Belt Movement strongly condemns the proposed amendment to Section 56 (2) of the Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2016, which seeks to give the Kenya Forest Service the Authority to give easement for public roads and other public installations as well as wayleaves for public utilities in public forests," the statement read.
The organization argued that the language being used to justify the amendment could conceal long-term environmental risks and unchecked commercial expansion into protected forest areas.
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"Kenyans must not be deceived by the language of 'public utility' and 'public installations.' This amendment is not innocent. It is a dangerous legal pathway being created to open up our public forests to roads, infrastructure, utilities, commercial interests and eventual destruction through administrative processes disguised as development," the statement added.
The movement pointed to several disputes involving public forests as evidence of what it described as a growing trend of encroachment through administrative approvals.
It cited the 2024 attempt to excise 51.64 hectares of Karura Forest for the expansion of Kiambu Road, saying the project was only halted after public protests, court intervention and legal action exposed procedural irregularities and insufficient public participation.
The group also referenced ongoing opposition to a proposed 25-kilometre road through the Aberdare Forest ecosystem, describing the forest as a vital water catchment that supports rivers, agriculture, livelihoods and water security for millions of Kenyans.
At Ngong Road Forest, the movement said commercial encroachment remains a major concern, citing the construction of a luxury hotel through what it called administrative approvals and early entry permits that ignored environmental safeguards and public participation requirements.
The organization also raised concerns over plans to allocate 10 hectares of forest land for a road linking Bomas of Kenya and the planned Talanta Stadium.
"This is not a coincidence; it is a pattern where first comes a road, then utilities, then "temporary access" then commercial developments. Slowly, public forests disappear piece by piece until nothing remains," the statement continued.
The group warned that the proposed amendment could entrench what it described as a dangerous pattern of forest loss while weakening legal oversight and constitutional safeguards.
"The proposed amendment seeks to legalize and normalize this dangerous trend. It undermines constitutional protections, weakens oversight and creates opportunities for abuse, corruption and irreversible environmental destruction," the statement further read.
The movement has now called on Kenyans and various stakeholders to oppose the amendment and defend public forests from further encroachment.
"We therefore call upon all Kenyans, civil society organizations, youth, faith leaders, environmental defenders, professionals, students and communities across the country to rise up and reject this amendment in its entirety," the statement concluded.
This comes weeks after KFS issued a clarification following growing public concerns online about how materials from plantation forests are disposed of.
In a statement on Sunday, April 26, the agency sought to reassure the public that all procedures surrounding the disposal process are conducted transparently and in accordance with the law.
KFS noted that only qualified and registered sawmillers are allowed to participate, ensuring that the process remains structured and regulated.
"The Service wishes to clarify that disposal of all forest materials is undertaken through an open tendering process, limited to registered sawmillers.
"This process is conducted in strict compliance with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act and its accompanying regulations," the statement read.
KFS also addressed concerns about accountability and recourse for dissatisfied parties, pointing to existing legal frameworks that guide procurement disputes.
"The Act further provides for established grievance redress mechanisms. Any party aggrieved by the process is advised to follow the laid-down procedures to lodge complaints," the statement added.
