The Friends of Karura Forest has filed a petition with Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa following what they describe as an abrupt takeover of the management by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS).
On August 29, government rangers arrived at all forest gates to implement new payment systems.
The takeover has sparked a high-stakes battle over one of Nairobi's most cherished green spaces, pitting a community conservation model against centralised government control.
In their petition to Dr Barasa, the Friends of Karura Forest paint a picture of successful community stewardship under threat. The document, released this week, outlines how the organisation transformed a forest where "dead bodies were regularly found and few dared to enter" into a sanctuary that now welcomes over 75,000 visitors monthly.
The petition credits this transformation to a "hugely successful partnership between Friends of Karura Forest Community Forest Association (FKF-CFA) and Kenya Forest Service, which has brought about a vast improvement in the quality of lives of hundreds of thousands of people."
Central to their argument is the financial model that has sustained the forest since 2009. Under the existing joint management agreement, all revenue generated goes into a shared account that funds forest maintenance, staff salaries, wildlife protection, and community livelihoods.
"This system ensures every shilling is accounted for and reinvested into the forest, ensuring transparency and accountability," the petition argues.
The Kenya Forest Service defended its actions as part of a broader digitisation initiative. Chief Forest Conservator Alex Lemarkoko told Nation Media that the transition to the eCitizen platform represents a government directive to move from manual to digital payment systems.
However, this change has had practical consequences. Visitors now pay an additional Value Added Tax and a Sh50 processing fee, significantly increasing costs from the previous flat rate of Sh100, which had been in place for nearly two decades.
The Friends of Karura Forest say they were not consulted on these changes and received orders to immediately withdraw their staff from the forest.
The immediate impact has been severe for the community organisation, which says it remains contractually liable for existing obligations while being cut off from revenue streams. In statements following the takeover, the Friends of Karura revealed that forest operations cost between Sh10-12 million monthly, covering salaries for over 60 forest scouts and 300 community members.
"The abrupt transition to the eCitizen revenue collection means FKF has lost all access to the funds it has used to manage the forest," the CFA stated, warning this "could mark a tragic end to a legacy built on transparency and respect in the management of the People's Forest."
The dispute comes as the forest enjoys popularity and ecological health. Data provided by the Friends of Karura shows monthly visitor numbers have grown from just 300 in 2010 to the current 75,000, making it arguably Kenya's most visited conservation area.
The organisation points to tangible conservation achievements under community management, including increasing indigenous tree cover from 25 to 60 per cent through systematic replacement of colonial-era timber plantations with native species.
The forest now hosts over 200 bird species and three antelope species, while successfully reintroduced colobus monkeys have produced over 100 offspring. The Friends of Karura Forest operates as one of over 250 Community Forest Associations established under the 2005 Forests Act, which was itself a response to the activism that saved Karura from developers in the 1990s.
The petition warns that redirecting forest income to the central government will "reduce forest security, negatively impact a thriving and healthy relationship between the forest and the local community, and reverse years of community-driven conservation progress."
The petition specifically appeals to Dr. Barasa's stated commitment to improve the quality of life and health outcomes for all people, arguing that the community management model has delivered exactly these outcomes.
The document demands three specific actions: upholding the existing joint management agreement that runs until 2041, allowing the forest to retain its revenue for local reinvestment, and guaranteeing no encroachment or irregular development.
The Friends of Karura Forest are collecting signatures for their petition online, hoping public pressure will convince the government to reverse course on what they call a decision that threatens one of Kenya's most successful conservation stories. So far, more than 200 signatures have been appended.
