Nairobi — Kenya is stepping up efforts to restore degraded forests and expand national tree cover, but environmental experts warn that gains could be undermined by weak enforcement against encroachers and conflicting national development priorities.
Panelists raised rge concerns during Capital FM's Sustainability and Climate Action forum, where policy leaders and conservationists assessed progress on forest protection -- a flagship agenda of President William Ruto's administration.
Mirey Atallah, Chief of Adaptation and Resilience at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), questioned what she described as contradictory policy signals.
"While we look at the transport sector, for example, there is a very strong push for e-mobility in the country," she told participants.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
"It is contrasted by a very strong push for the construction of roads. At the same time, we see the railway being revived. It goes opposite of us calling."
Her remarks reflect broader concerns that infrastructure expansion, if not carefully planned, could exert pressure on forest margins and ecologically sensitive land.
Prof Karanja Njoroge of Friends of Karura Forest identified land encroachment as the most immediate threat to forest ecosystems.
"The biggest threat to the forest ecosystem is the protection of land," he said.
"This has been seen by many people as prime land for development, and they have not gone away."
Lost ground
Njoroge argued that Kenya's forest protection situation is worse today than at independence, underscoring what he described as decades of lost ground.
He contrasted Kenya's record with conservation gains in Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.
Dorothy Asiyo, Executive Director of the Green Belt Movement, said while Kenya has made strides, enforcement remains inconsistent compared to neighboring countries.
"We have made strides but we are eroding those strides," she said. "In Uganda if you walk into a conservation and do things contrary to what is supposed to be done, it is not negotiable."
Responding to the criticism, Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko of the Kenya Forest Service defended the government's approach, describing conservation as a shared responsibility between state and non-state actors.
He maintained that no construction is currently underway inside designated forests, pushing back against persistent public claims of development in protected areas.
However, past controversies have fueled skepticism. In 2025, President Ruto approved hotel construction projects inside Meru National Park, triggering debate over balancing tourism and conservation.
A proposed eco-camp in Ngong Road Forest was later halted following public outcry, with authorities clarifying that the intention was to improve accessibility and security.
Far from target
At Karura Forest, Njoroge accused the Kenya Forest Service of mishandling a long-running dispute with Friends of Karura over user rights, including management of restaurants and bicycle operations -- a disagreement he says remains unresolved.
According to official data, Kenya's forest cover stands at approximately 8.83 per cent of total land area, while tree cover -- including trees outside gazetted forests -- is about 12.13 per cent.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Both figures fall short of the government's ambitious 30 per cent tree cover target by 2032.
To close the gap, Kenya has launched a nationwide campaign to plant 15 billion trees by 2032, aimed at reversing degradation, creating green jobs, strengthening water security and enhancing climate resilience.
Reports indicate that more than 900 million trees have already been planted, including large-scale bamboo projects tied to both climate mitigation and livelihoods.
Additional initiatives include piloting "Model Villages" to help communities integrate tree growing into local economies and everyday life.
While stakeholders acknowledge tangible progress in mobilizing citizens and expanding tree cover, they caution that planting programs must be matched with firm enforcement against encroachment and coherent policy alignment to safeguard Kenya's forests for future generations.
