The ongoing standoff over Karura Forest’s entry fees has taken a sharp legal turn after the Environment and Land Court (ELC) in Nairobi certified as urgent a case filed by Friends of Karura and the Community Forest Association.
The petitioners, together with conservation partners, moved to court to challenge the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) directive that requires all Karura Forest entry fees to be paid exclusively through the government’s eCitizen platform. They argue that the move not only sidelines community involvement but also risks undermining conservation gains achieved through decades of public-private partnership.
In an order issued on 2nd September 2025, Honourable Lady Justice A. Omollo directed that the matter be fast-tracked. The court scheduled an inter-parties hearing for 22nd September 2025, giving respondents — including the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, KFS, and five others — 14 days to file their responses.
The ruling underscores the urgency of the dispute, which has sparked widespread public concern . Conservationists and community members argue that centralizing payments on eCitizen strips Friends of Karura and local associations of crucial management roles and financial autonomy, potentially weakening the protection of one of Nairobi’s last remaining urban forests.
This legal battle comes just days after Big3Africa reported on the heated debate surrounding increased entry fees and contested management approaches at Karura. The court’s intervention now places the future of Karura’s governance firmly in the spotlight.
As the case heads to hearing later this month, all eyes will be on how the judiciary balances state digital revenue policies against community-led conservation models that have been hailed globally as a success story.
