Chief Conservator of Forest Alex Lemarkoko plants a tree/FILEThe Kenya Forest Service has warned the Friends of Karura Forest against attempts to derail the government project aimed at increasing the forest cover.
Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko said the Friends of Karura Community Forest Association's actions risk obstructing the national tree-growing agenda.
“This initiative adopts a whole-of-government-and-society approach, and nobody will derail it,” Lemarkoko said.
“We have a joint management committee that meets monthly and there is a legal mechanism for raising any disputes.”
Lemarkoko criticised Friends of Karura Forest (FKF) for making what he described as false media accusations, emphasising the exercise is a national initiative.
FKF, led by Karanja Njoroge, had accused KFS of failing to involve the forest-adjacent community in the tree-growing programme.
Karanja spoke during a media briefing at Karura Forest, which coincided with the commemoration of Wangari Maathai Day.
The day, jointly observed by the African Union (AU) as Africa Environment Day, honours Prof Wangari Maathai (deceased), Africa’s first female Nobel Peace Prize laureate, for her contribution to environmental conservation and sustainable development.
KFS is currently developing barracks for National Youth Service (NYS) personnel who will partner with the service to support tree seedling production. Friends of Karura Forest and the Green Belt Movement have opposed the project.
Lemarkoko said the tree-growing agenda targets all Kenyans, including schools, public institutions, security agencies such as the police and Kenya Defence Forces, and the national service.
He said community forest associations have been actively engaged and supportive across nearly 200 forest stations nationwide.
Karura Forest alone is expected to produce two million seedlings, while KFS plans to expand its roughly 300 nurseries to produce one billion trees annually.
Lemarkoko said this expansion will require additional labour, inputs, soil mixtures, water and recirculation systems.
The government has already laid down the framework for implementing the project, he said, warning that anyone seeking to derail it “is in for a rude shock.”
Lemarkoko said additional labour will come from the NYS through the Ministry of Public Service and Human Capital Development, as community labour alone is insufficient.
He also emphasised the NYS containers being set up will not involve cutting any trees.
Lemarkoko questioned Karanja’s authority to speak on behalf of FKF, noting he is neither the group’s chairman nor official spokesperson.
According to KFS, NYS barracks are being established not only at Karura Forest but also at other forest stations, including Ngong Hills, where construction is nearing completion.
The partnership between KFS and NYS is intended to support the national strategy of growing 15 billion trees by 2032 to achieve 30 per cent forest cover.
The Wangari Maathai Day commemoration at the Kenya Forest Environment Education Trust (KFEET) Centre included a forest walk to Wangari Maathai Grove and a ceremonial tree planting.
During the event, Karanja warned that Karura Forest faces major threats, claiming that the forest had been nearly destroyed in 1998, when Wangari Maathai risked her life to protect it.
He said the forest attracts up to 80,000 visitors monthly and local communities have benefited through bursaries and other initiatives.
Karanja urged KFS to involve FKF in discussions regarding the ongoing NYS construction.
“All we are asking is that if you want to do something, call us so we can discuss and agree on the best approach,” he said.
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