Kakamega: Parliament has proposed an Amendment Bill aimed at providing a comprehensive legal framework for forest conservation, addressing modern challenges, and enhancing governance and accountability in Kenya’s forestry sector.
According to Kenya News Agency, the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining is currently reviewing the proposals of the Forest Conservation and Management (Amendment) 2025 Bill by gathering stakeholder views across the country. During a public participation forum in Kakamega, the committee’s Vice-Chair Charles Kamuren, who is also the MP for Baringo South, highlighted that the proposed law intends to fill regulatory gaps that have long plagued the forestry sector in Kenya.
Among the notable changes proposed in the Bill is the introduction of dry forestry and a legal framework empowering citizens to own and register private forests. Kamuren explained that the Bill also proposes the creation of the Office of the Director of Forest Regulation to oversee regulation and compliance, while the responsibility for licensing and permit issuance would be under the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry.
Kamuren, alongside committee members Charity Kathambi Chepkwony (MP Njoro), Titus Lotee (MP Kacheliba), and Beatrice Kemei (Woman Representative Kericho County), stated that the Bill seeks to grant the Kenya Forestry Services more autonomy and authority in conservation matters. Additionally, the Bill introduces Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes to formally reward individuals and communities involved in conservation efforts.
The proposed legislation also recommends the establishment of an academy dedicated to providing technical skills and knowledge in environmental conservation. It aims to address ongoing conflicts between forestry rangers and communities adjacent to gazetted forests by proposing organized and regular training for rangers. The Bill further empowers communities surrounding gazetted forests to co-manage forest resources with government agencies, creating a participatory model for forest governance.
Participants at the forum welcomed the proposed changes but raised concerns regarding carbon credit opportunities and Kenya’s potential to benefit from its tropical forest cover. Andrew Biketi from a conservation-focused Civil Society Organization questioned how Kenya could capitalize on carbon markets like other countries in the region. The Committee indicated that provisions in the Bill on ecosystem services and carbon markets, including Reduced Emissions of Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), would be pivotal in unlocking such opportunities.
Sylavanos Omurunga, chairman of the Misango Hills Community Forest Association (CFA), highlighted the issue of inadequate resources at the grassroots level, emphasizing the reliance on donor funding for survival. He called for direct government funding for CFAs to be included in the amended Act.
Brenice Muhadia Indimuli, founder of the youth-led environmental restoration organization Ecovation Africa, urged the government to engage youth as environmental champions to achieve the national adaptation plan of planting 30 billion trees by 2030.
