Friends of Karura Protest Tree Clearance, Demand Public Disclosure on Planned NYS Accommodation
Conservation group Friends of Karura Forest has called for the immediate suspension of ongoing tree clearance inside Karura Forest, urging authorities to publicly explain reported plans to construct accommodation for National Youth Service personnel within the protected area.
The group says that since the weekend, several indigenous trees have been felled around the Rangers Village an area that houses forest rangers by individuals using chainsaws, with heavy machinery later deployed to uproot stumps. According to FKF, the team gained entry with authorization from a station manager at the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), while another group simultaneously conducted a site assessment.
FKF, which co-manages Karura Forest jointly with KFS, says it was neither notified of the tree removal nor consulted about any development proposals, despite recent deliberations between the two parties under the Joint Management Committee framework. A formal letter sent by the organization to KFS seeking clarification had not received a response by the time of publication.
Concerns Over Lack of Consultation
The latest dispute follows an earlier controversy involving the overnight tarmacking of a road leading to the Rangers Village last year, an action FKF opposed in court, citing lack of stakeholder engagement and environmental safeguards.
KFS has indicated on social media that the cleared section falls within its headquarters zone. However, FKF maintains the site lies roughly a kilometre inside the forest itself, raising concerns that the area may be earmarked for barracks-style housing for NYS teams linked to an expanded tree nursery project.
FKF argues that the official KFS headquarters located on a 55-hectare parcel bordering Kiambu Road already has sufficient space, infrastructure, and road access to accommodate such facilities without encroaching on indigenous forest cover.
Management Plan at Issue
The current Karura Forest Management Plan, as well as the two preceding plans, proposes relocating the Rangers Village to the KFS headquarters to allow the existing site to revert to natural forest.
“As co-managers of Karura, we demand an immediate end to this work,” said Prof. Njoroge Karanja, a board member of FKF. “Any proposals for development or construction inside the forest must be made public and subjected to open discussion.”
He noted that the dispute coincides with the 15th anniversary of Karura Forest’s official opening to the public, describing the forest’s restoration as a landmark conservation success now at risk.
Conservation Legacy Under Pressure
Karura Forest, once threatened by illegal land allocations and degradation, has become a flagship example of collaborative urban forest management, biodiversity protection, and public recreation in Nairobi. FKF warns that introducing large-scale residential infrastructure could disrupt wildlife habitats, increase human traffic, and undermine years of ecological recovery.
The organization is now calling for a halt to all works pending transparent consultations, environmental assessments, and alignment with the existing management plan.
