Mr. Emilio Mugo has been confirmed as the new Director of the Kenya Forest Service (KFS).

Mr. Mugo brings three decades of experience to the job. He earned his BSc at Moi University and his Master's degree at the London School of Business. Mr. Mugo began working in the Forest Department in 1987 and rose through the ranks to become Assistant Chief Conservator of Forests in 2004. Within KFS, he served as Senior Deputy Director - Field Operations from 2007 and, with the retirement of Mr. D.K.Mbugua, Mr. Mugo served as Acting Director for seven months until his confirmation as KFS Director in August 2015. Mr. Mugo is particularly focused on sustainable forest management, capacity-building and environmental awareness whilst involving all stakeholders.

Mr. Mugo told Karibuni Karura,  "I thank FKF for the tremendous strides that have been made in conserving Karura Forest and giving a sterling example of proper forest conservation and management. I look forward to even more cooperation and growth under the joint management plan with FKF. My vision for the Service under my stewardship is to promote cooperation and collaboration particularly under the devolved County structures to ensure smooth operations in management of forestry resources, while focusing on increasing net forest cover. Its my hope that the FKF experience will be replicated in other forests."

The Friends of Karura Forest extend a hearty congratulation to Mr. Mugo and look forward to working together with him and his staff in support of the further flourishing of Karura.  Karibu sana!.

Karura Forest Reserve - A People's Forest featured as a side event at September's World Forestry Congress in Durban South Africa, fitting right in to the FAO Congress theme "Forests and People: Investing in a Sustainable Future".

Charity Munyasia, KFS Head of Conservancy Nairobi and I travelled to Durban to share our experiences of participatory forest management (PFM) entrenched in the Kenya Forest Act of 2005, the framework that has been successfully used to manage Karura since October 2009. Connecting the forest and the communities living adjacent to Karura has been the hallmark of the forest's resurrection.

At the Wangari Maathai Forests Champions Award Ceremony (photo: IISD/ENB)

We traced Karura's recent history from being a no-go security risk in 2009 to a preferred urban forest mecca for 200,000 people a year today. We highlighted three key factors that underpin the Karura PFM success story:

• Connecting the Forest and Communities  The establishment of Friends of Karura Forest as an association comprised of people living adjacent to the forest whose sole focus has led to a better managed and conserved forest that gives back real social, environmental and economic benefits to the community.

• Joint Management  FKF working with the Kenya Forest Service has crafted a stakeholder-driven forest management plan that forms a compact between the government and the community providing a clear blueprint for joint implementation.

• Joint Responsibility Kenya's changing governance landscape has enabled the public forestry custodian body to make its relationship with the community an open one in which community stakeholders have a mandated and shared responsibility for forest stewardship .

These three aspects of our unique participatory forest management have made it easy for KFS to join hands with a Community Forest Association, to find synergy from the wide connections and range of talent that FKF brings to the table, and to use the resultant joint implementation strategy to achieve long-term goals.

Wanjira presents award to Gertrude Kenyagi (photo: WOCAN)

We were pleased to be present at the ceremony for the Forests Champions  established by FKF Patron, Wangari Maathai, and see her daughter and Karura's friend, Wanjira Mathai present this year's award to Gertrude Kenyagi, founder of SWAGEN (Support to Women in Agriculture and Environment).

The WFC participants seemed excited to learn that it need take only five years to turn a moribund natural resource into an attraction visited by some 16,000 visitors a month. Many of the participants, particularly from other African countries were interested to hear about managing a public resource jointly between a government authority and the community. There were animated discussions of the non-extractive community benefits that forests can give especially recreational and eco-tourism.

We were proud to represent a Kenyan example of good forest governance practices and to report to a UN meeting about real-life, on-the-ground progress.

FKF Scouts on parade

As part of FKF's ongoing commitment to improve security and service in Karura, a joint three-week training exercise for the 27 FKF Scouts and seven Gate Clerks was organised under the auspices of the Kenya Forest Service Ranger Force.

KFS Insp. Ezra and Sgt. Kimani explain protocol to FKF Chief Scout Chege

Drawing on the experience of KFS staff - Inspector Ezra Barchuk, Sgt Kimani, Cpl Lilian and Ranger Bolei - who served as planners and instructors, the course aimed to improve the skills and increase the capacity of the Scouts in a number of areas: first aid, law and KFS structure under the Forests Act, discipline and parade drills, forest fire prevention and response, and communications skills.

Cpl. Lilian and Peter Njui give Peter Kamau his epaulettes. Sgt. Kimani and Cristina Boelcke-Croze look on

Do let us know (at rafiki@karurafriends.org) if you see an improvement in the demeanour and deportment of FKF staff.

The whole team at passing out

 

The new Ticketing and Entry Control System (TECS) is in its final testing stage prior to full implementation.

TECS is designed to streamline entry and provide greater control over the various entry types and visitor transactions.

There have been some teething issues involving network connectivity and system design that we are working through with the developer, Compulynx Ltd. Please bear with us as we fine-tune the system.

Meanwhile, may we ask you as a matter of routine, please check your tickets for accuracy and completeness once they are issued. In particular check that the entry type ('Subservice' on the ticket), Amount Paid, and Date & Time are correct.

Please retain your ticket during your visit: there may be spot checks in the forest.

And do let us know if you have any suggestions for improvements or issues during ticketing at rafiki@karurafriends.org.

Thanks for your help. We hope the new system will make your visit even more enjoyable.

The FKF Annual General Meeting in voted in four new board members to replace retiring members and bring new talent and energy to the Community Forest Association. All are extremely successful in their professional fields as well as being keen outdoors persons.

Angelica Wangari Kamuyu is now FKF's Assistant Treasurer.  Angelica is a Financial Management Consultant with a rich educational and professional experience in accountancy and financial management. She is a Member of the Institutes of Directors of Kenya and Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK).
Her impressive career includes positions as Audit Senior, Senior Accountant, Director of Finance Planning, Management and Administration as well as Human Resources with a number of firms:, Githongo and Company CPAs, Kenya Reinsurance, Schindler Ltd. And, most recently, the Bob Morgan Security Group. She serves on the board or as treasurer for several community and professional groups. Angela says that her aspiration is to remain relevant by participating in various activities and processes, both business and social. "I love the outdoors," she says, "I visit and enjoy Kenya's beautiful landscape whenever I get an opportunity." As you might imagine, Angelica is a regular walker in Karura.

Dr. Winnie Kiiru is an expert in elephant conservation and management, working extensively on human-elephant conflict in Kenya and abroad. She is a member of the Coalition of Advisors for the Eco-Exist project in Botswana that fosters coexistence between communities and elephants. Winnie has been working with the UK charity Stop Ivory to promote the Elephant Protection Initiative across Africa, and recently, with a Stop Ivory team, she has  completed the first National Inventory of Kenya's rhino horn and ivory stockpile for KWS. She is passionate about introducing young Kenyans to conservation and works as a part time university lecturer and student mentor. She is a regular forest walker and often can be seen with a group of her students exploring the Karura ecosystem. Winnie will turn her talent to help promote scientific research in Karura.

Katherine Kariuki was elected to the FKF board having served as a representative of Runda Estate on the board for the past four years. Katherine is a software developer and system analyst as well as an experienced marketer. She sits on many committees and is a long serving member of the Runda Association. She is the current the Chairperson of Runda Water Ltd.  She has been contributing to Karura in many ways: organising forest activities for Runda residents, rallying her Community Life Group Book Club members to plant trees, supporting the Cancer Run, or simply enjoying early morning walks in the forest. It is very rare to find Katherine walking or running in the forest alone, as a lover of the outdoors and the natural environment, she delights in sharing the beauty of Karura with relatives and friends.