Govt rubbishes reports of forest land encroachment amid public concern
By Emmanuel Rono, April 29, 2026The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has dismissed reports circulating online claiming illegal encroachment and excision of forest land, insisting that all gazetted public forests in the country remain intact and legally protected.
In a statement on April 29, 2026, KFS clarified that it currently manages 2.59 million hectares of gazetted forest land, whose ownership is established through formal notices published in the Kenya Gazette.
KFS explained that these gazettement notices serve as the legal instruments confirming public ownership of forest land, while detailed boundary plans provide a clear record of the extent and location of each forest block.
“Kenya Forest Service has noted misleading online information implying illegal encroachments and excisions of forest land across the country and wishes to make clarifications on the matter,” KFS stated.
“KFS manages 2.59 million hectares of gazetted forest land and ownership is through notices made in the Kenya Gazette. Legal notices are ownership documents on public forests and the spread of the gazetted forests are clearly documented or reflected in Boundary Plans.”
Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2016
According to the service, all public forests remain under legal protection as provided for under the Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2016, which guides the management, conservation, and use of forest resources in the country.
“Gazettement is the legal instrument through which public forests are formally declared and protected under the Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2016 (FCMA). Consequently, the Service confirms that no public forest has been lost, grabbed or hived off.
The service further stated that the lack of title deeds is not in any way synonymous with insecure ownership; legal notices give exclusive ownership of public forests.
Notably, the Service, in collaboration with the Service in collaboration with the National Land Commission, revoked over 154 irregular title deeds across the country through Gazette Notice No. 6862 of the Kenya Gazette Vol. CXIX- No. 97 of July 17, 2017.
Illegally secured land
KFS said they recently partnered with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and they successfully recovered seven acres of forest land that had been illegally allocated within Karura Forest.
“More recently, in partnership with the EACC, there was recovery of seven acres of illegally allocated land in Karura forest. All the recovered pieces of land are intact and safely under KFS protection,” KFS said.
KFS further said they can fully account for all its secure forest assets. Notably, valuation of gazetted forests has not been undertaken since forests are set aside for conservation and are not up for sale.