Karura MCA warns against undermining community conservation model amid e-Citizen shift

Speaking in Nairobi, the county lawmaker widely known as the “Green MCA” for his environmental advocacy, said the Karura Forest model stands as a global example of how communities can co-manage forests with government and deliver long-term protection.

“Disrupting the community-led Karura Forest conservation and management model only risks reversing the gains,” Nifiu said. “Instead, the State Department of Forestry should be asking: How can we strengthen the Friends of Karura Forest collaboration? How can Karura’s success be replicated in other threatened forests across Kenya?”

He questioned the broader implication of the shift, noting that sidelining Karura’s established structures could discourage other communities across the country who are safeguarding forests under difficult circumstances.

“If Karura Forest — one of the most successful community-led forest conservation and management models — can be undermined, what message does that send to other communities protecting our forests?” he posed.

Nifiu further urged authorities to recognize that Karura’s resilience has come not from armed patrols but from community stewardship. “Guns never protected Karura — and they won’t. It’s the people who always have, and always will.”

The MCA, who also serves as chairman of the City Park Community Forest Association, emphasized that the forest’s future depends on transparent collaboration and sustained community involvement. “Things may not be easy today at Karura Forest, but we are working — for the forest and for you. Help us keep The People’s Forest secure, safe, and sustainable,” he appealed.

The introduction of the e-citizen system is part of a wider government effort to centralize service payments, but conservationists fear it could weaken local accountability and funding structures that have sustained Karura’s rehabilitation for over two decades