No deforestation in Karura Forest: Govt clarifies tree nursery plans
By Emmanuel Rono, March 11, 2026The government has clarified reports about tree cutting in Karura Forest, assuring the public that there will be no mass tree felling as part of its upcoming tree nursery project.
In a statement shared on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura confirmed that three acres of land within Karura Forest, currently lying dormant, will be reclaimed and used to establish a tree nursery.
Mwaura said the land has been used for Tree Biotechnology Programme Trust issues, although it has not been used in proper ways.
“Kwa kifupi tunasema hakuna ardhi mpya ambayo inakatwa miti pale msitu wa Karura. Kile ambacho kinatendeka pale ni kwamba kuna hekari tatu ambazo zimetengwa kwa sababu ya ile tree nursery ambayo imekuwa ikitumika mambo ya technology (TBPT) lakini hakujakuwa ikitumika kwa njia inayokuwa sawasawa,” Mwaura said.
Loosely translate to: In short, we are saying that no new land is being cleared of trees at Karura Forest. What is happening there is that three acres have been set aside for that tree nursery, which has been used for TBPT matters but has not been utilised appropriately,” Mwaura said.
CS Deborah Barasa on deforestation
This comes following a report by the Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa, who appeared in an interview on a local station, saying that a section of Karura Forest is being cleared to make room for a tree nursery and temporary housing for National Youth Service (NYS) officials.
Barasa stated that as part of the government’s nationwide tree-growing initiative, two to three acres of forest area have been cleared to enable the propagation of up to five million seedlings.
According to Barasa, the seedlings will help with afforestation projects all throughout the nation, including in public parks, forests, urban areas, schools, and highways.
“To propagate around five million seedlings, we need space where we can establish nurseries and mobilise human resources to support the process,” Barasa said.
The initiative is aimed at supporting the president’s nationwide tree-planting campaign.
Mwaura said that they are using the available space in the forest to set up a tree nursery in order to attain 2 million seedlings in the national tree seedling facility at Karura.
“Tunafanya hiyo rekebisho kuhakikisha ile tukuwe na miche milioni mbili na hapa itakuwa kitengo cha serikali,” Mwaura said.
Mwaura also said that National Youth Service (NYS) officers and volunteers who are taking part in the exercise will stay in containers on the nursery grounds, which have been used by forest rangers in the past.
2032’s 15 billion trees
In December 2022, President William Ruto started a new programme called “jaza miti.” Its goal was to get Kenyans to plant at least 15 billion trees by 2032.
The “Jaza Miti” programme is a special presidential forestry and rangeland restoration programme.
Many people think it is too ambitious, but it aims to counter the terrible effects of climate change, like unpredictable rainfall patterns, droughts, and floods, by planting more trees.