Kenya Forest Service (KFS)

Type of partner:

Government ministries, departments & institutions

Partner's Location:

Click to view content by:

Kenya Forest Service is a corporate body established under the Forest Conservation and Management Act no 34 of 2016 (henceforth referred to as the Act). The Act which was operationalized on 31st March 2017, gave the Service's mandate as "to provide for the development and sustainable management, including conservation and rational utilization of all forest resources for the socioeconomic development of the country and for connected purposes".

The functions of the Service are;-

a) Conserve, protect and manage all public forests in accordance with the provisions of the Act;

b) Prepare and implement management plans for all public forests and, where requested, assist in preparation of management plans for community forests or private forests in consultation with the relevant owners;

c) Receive and consider applications for licenses or permits in relation to forest resources or management of forests or any other relevant matter in accordance with this Act;

d) Establish and implement benefit sharing arrangements in accordance with the provisions of the Act;

e) Assist county governments to build capacity in forestry and forest management in the counties;

f) In consultation with relevant stakeholders, develop programmes for tourism and for recreational and ceremonial use of public forests;

g) Promote forestry education and training;

h) Register and maintain a register of all forest management plans prepared for public forests;

i) Collaborate with relevant persons in identifying research needs and applying research findings in relation to forests and forestry;

j) Manage water catchment areas in relation to soil and water conservation, carbon sequestration and other environmental services in collaboration with relevant stakeholders;

k) Prepare: i) A Forest Status Report for the Cabinet Secretary once in every two years; and ii) A Resource Assessment Report for the Cabinet Secretary once in every five years;

l) Consider and recommend to the Cabinet Secretary the establishment of public forests on unalienated public land or any other public land;

m) Consider and recommend to the Cabinet Secretary the determination and alteration of boundaries of public forests;

n) Establish forest conservancy areas for purposes of conservation and management;

o) Approve the provision of credit facilities and technical training for community-based forest industries, and the provision of incentives to persons for the sustainable utilization of wood and non-wood forest products;

p) Implement and enforce rules and regulations governing importation, exportation and trade in forest produce; and

q) Develop, maintain and regularly update a geographic information system database of all forests in Kenya.

Contact details:

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry

Main Registry NHIF Building,

13th floor Ragati Road, Upper-hill, Nairobi

Website: http://www.kenyaforestservice.org/