COMMENTS ON THE FORESTS (COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT) RULES, 2009

Natural Justice submitted a set of proposed amendments to the Kenya Forest Service regarding the Forests (Community Participation in Sustainable Forest Management) Rules, 2009. The organization advocates for greater transparency, the inclusion of private sector actors in forest conservation, and the mandatory participation of forest associations to align with constitutional requirements.

• Natural Justice proposes that Rule 6 be amended to allow private sector actors, including Civil Society Organizations, to proactively approach the Kenya Forest Service to form Joint Management Agreements. This is intended to address the "lack of adequate financial and human resources" and a shortage of "specialised and technical skills" in Kenya's forest conservation.
• The organization argues that Rule 41 should be changed from giving the Service discretionary power to a mandatory requirement to ensure the participation of forest associations. This change is requested to align the rules with Article 69 of the Constitution and Section 4 of the Forest Conservation and Management Act.
• Regarding special-use licences under Rule 21 (2), Natural Justice recommends that the rule explicitly require applicants to obtain an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) licence and comply with land acquisition procedures before a licence is issued. This is to ensure that land acquisition for forest communities is conducted according to the Constitution and includes "adequate compensation".
• Natural Justice suggests that the Community Management Agreement template (Form 5) be modified to prioritize "traditional dispute resolution methods" and allow parties to choose their preferred Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism rather than making arbitration a mandatory requirement.
• The submission calls for increased transparency through the gazettement of authorizations issued to private actors and the creation of a constantly updated online register of all such authorizations, citing the Constitution and the Access to Information Act.

APA

Natural Justice (2020). COMMENTS ON THE FORESTS (COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT) RULES, 2009. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/NJ_NBO_Comments-on-the-Forest-Community-Participation-Rules_9.04.2020.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. COMMENTS ON THE FORESTS (COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT) RULES, 2009. 2020. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/NJ_NBO_Comments-on-the-Forest-Community-Participation-Rules_9.04.2020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Natural Justice |title=COMMENTS ON THE FORESTS (COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT) RULES, 2009 |date=9 April 2020 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/NJ_NBO_Comments-on-the-Forest-Community-Participation-Rules_9.04.2020.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{naturaljustice2020comments, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{COMMENTS ON THE FORESTS (COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT) RULES, 2009}}, publisher = {Natural Justice}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/NJ_NBO_Comments-on-the-Forest-Community-Participation-Rules_9.04.2020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }