In the wake of the recent dispute over the management of Karura Forest, Karura Ward Representative Kamau Thuo has weighed in on the brewing standoff.
The Member of County Assembly (MCA) on Saturday, September 6, raised alarm over what he termed a 'unilateral' and 'non-consultative takeover' of the Karura Forest revenue collection system by the government.
This is after the government directed the payment of the forest entrance fee through the eCitizen platform, and the subsequent hiking of the fee from Ksh100 to Ksh174 for adults and Ksh50 to Ksh116 for children.
Thuo, popularly known as 'The Green MCA,' noted that the move to increase the entrance fee would place an additional burden on Kenyans, who have historically benefited from low rates.
According to the lawmaker, at the heart of the standoff is the 2021-2041 Karura Forest management plan agreement between the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and the Friends of Karura Forest (FKF).
He stated that shifting the payment system to the eCitizen platform would not only sideline FKF, but also threaten the model that transformed the forest from a crime scene into a popular attraction and chilling spot.
The politician argued that the change in the method of collecting revenue also posed a direct threat to residents of the villages of Huruma, Githogoro, Gachie and Deepsea. These villages are located adjacent to the forest and rely on revenue collected by the FKF, he claimed.
"Disrupting the community-led Karura Forest conservation and management model only risks reversing the gains. Instead, the State Department of Forestry should be asking, How can we strengthen the FKF collaboration? How can Karura’s success be replicated in other threatened forests across Kenya?” the MCA posed.
He added, "Things may not be easy today at Karura Forest, but we are working for the forest and for you. Help us keep The People’s Forest secure, safe, and sustainable. Guns never protected Karura, and they won’t. It’s the people who always have, and always will.”
On September 1, FKF filed an urgent petition before Lady Justice Anne Omollo in the Environment and Land Court, seeking a conservatory order to halt the shift to eCitizen.
Specifically, the petition sought the reinstatement of the joint revenue collection arrangement and a declaration that both the eCitizen directive and associated fee hikes were unlawful and unconstitutional.
The court has since deemed the matter urgent and scheduled a hearing for September 22, 2025. KFS and the Ministry of Environment were directed to file their responses within 14 days.
