A bitter row has emerged between the Friends of Karura Forest (FKF) and the Huruma- Cheleta Community over control of Karura Forest.
The local community has accused FKF of locking it out of the Forest and from using any other facilities within.
On 15th June 2021, the Huruma Cheleta community through its secretary John Waweru protested in a letter to FKF chairperson Dr Winnie Kiiru.
In the petition, the community said that on 10th June 2021, FKF in a letter confirmed that the community representatives were to meet with FKF officials on the 14th of June 2021 at 3 PM.
The letter to the Community was signed by FKF chairperson Winnie Kiiru.
The community said it had requested entry into the FKF offices located inside the forest through the Huruma gate.
However, the community said its officials called on FKF official Lucy Njoka who notified the FKF bigwigs of the meeting.
However, they lamented that on their way to the forest, FKF operations manager and another Peter Njui called them notifying them cancellation of their meeting 20 minutes to 3 pm.
“One of our representatives said Dr Winnie Kiiru the FKF chairperson had called off the meeting. It’s unfortunate that at 6.30 pm 14th June 2021, a letter was delivered to the village chairman communicating the cancellation of a meeting that was to happen at 3pm that day,” the secretary protested.
The community complained of the casual way its members are being treated.
Those who were blocked from accessing Karura Forest House are Joseph Kamau Njoroge, Chairman Huruma Cheleta Residents Association, John Waweru, Secretary and Peter Waweru Njoroge the treasurer.
They wondered if FKF could treat Friends of Karura board/staff, Muthaiga, Runda, Gigiri, Peponi, and Ridgeway’s resident’s association in the same manner.
They complained that FKF had referred to them as a “mere group”
“It’s now apparent that Friends of Karura Board. / Senior management is more concerned with endowed people than the welfare of the poor adjacent community-Huruma Cheleta” they protested.
They accused the FKF Board and staff of misplaced sense of entitlement and arrogance.
The protest letter has been copied to the KFS Board chairman Peter Kinyua, Chief Conservator of Forests Julius Kamau, and the Station manager Karura Forest, Paul Musembi.
In the petition sent to FKF on 31st May 2021, the community wants FKF to change its attitude from elite domination to meaningful community inclusion in the making and implementation of Karura Forest management plans.
They also want two people nominated from the Huruma -Cheleta Community to sit in the FKF Board to represent them.
The Community wants FKF to be rebranded and called Karura Forest Community Association adding that the name Friends of Karura Forest alienates them.
“Change of discriminatory employment policy in place now. A policy that sidesteps the locals when employment opportunities arise. We demand for an affirmative action where 50 percent allocation of employment opportunities at FKF community association be reserved for the community going forward,” reads the petition.
The petition also said FKF has also been issuing bursaries to residents of Githunguri in Kiambu and leaving out needy students from the Huruma -Cheleta community.
They have vowed to ignore FKF and deal directly with KFS.
Who is FKF?
The Friends of Karura is a Community Forest Association comprising of Kenyans and other champions of participatory forest management who are dedicated to protecting for future generations the city’s largest green area, the Karura Forest Reserve.
WHO ARE THE HURUMA-CHELETA COMMUNITY?
On the other hand, the Huruma Cheleta Residents (Karura forest indigenous people) comprises of members from five villages within the larger Huruma-Cheleta community.
Huruma Cheleta has 4,543 households.
The larger village is divided into five administrative units, Kibagare, Kagongo, Murianga, Gatwikera and Gichagi.
According to the community, Karura forest reserve owes its ancient preservation from four landowners, Tharuga, Gacii, Wang’endo and Hinga.
The community members said they pay homage to Mbari Ya Kihara for bequeathing Karura to future generations.
“In the recent times, the management model by FKF is largely about money and elite domination negating the intent and spirit of forest conservation and management act,” the community said.
The community members said their great grandparents are buried in Karura forest where there are many unmarked graves and that modern day Runda, Gigiri, Mimosa, Rosslyn and Runda Kigwaru then known as Kwa Cheleta are their ancestral land.
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