NAIROBI, Kenya, August 29 – The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has unilaterally taken over control of all gate collections at Karura Forest, sparking concern from the Friends of Karura Forest (FKF) Community Forest Association.
In a late-night social media post, KFS announced that all payments for entry, parking, annual passes, and other services will now be processed exclusively through the government’s eCitizen platform. KFS rangers and administrative staff were deployed this morning to enforce the changes.
For more than 15 years, entrance fees have been collected under a 20-year joint-management agreement between KFS and FKF, with funds supporting forest security, operations, staff, and regeneration. FKF said it was neither consulted nor informed of any replacement mechanism, despite being contractually liable for ongoing obligations.
The takeover also comes with fee increases, including VAT and eCitizen processing charges, which FKF says will disproportionately affect Kenyan citizens and children who have long benefited from low entry rates.
FKF staff have been ordered to withdraw from the forest immediately. The association said the move undermines the late Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai’s vision of Karura as a model for public–private conservation partnerships.
