Kilifi sacred forests at a crossroads: Will gazettement protect or disrupt?

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The future of Kilifi’s sacred Kaya forests is under scrutiny as the Parliament's Public Petitions Committee visits Kaya Kauma to assess a petition seeking formal gazettement.

The forests, central to the Mijikenda community, hold deep cultural, spiritual, and ecological value.

Kilifi North MP Owen Baya filed the petition to safeguard the forests from encroachment and environmental damage. But local elders warn that government involvement could interfere with ancestral traditions.

“We do not oppose gazettement, but we take care of the forest without support. We fear interference with our traditions,” said an elder Mr Chaxston Chivatsi.

National Museums of Kenya officials echoed concerns about legal ownership and management.

NMK Assistant Director for the Coast, Mr Hussein Aden asked: “Who will own the forest if gazetted? Private, or community?”

Kilifi County Forest Conservator Ruwa Kalama Masha defended the proposal, citing legal protection against illegal logging, charcoal burning, and forest degradation.

He highlighted Taita’s “Figi” forests as examples of conservation without disrupting cultural practices.

Committee Vice-Chair Janet Sitienei backed the need for gazettement, emphasizing that it could unlock resources for conservation.

Other Committee members engaged with elders, government agencies, and conservation experts to find a balance between cultural preservation and formal state protection.

The Committee proposed forming Community Forest Associations (CFAs) to unite elders, KFS, Kenya Wildlife Service, and local youth in forest protection.

Stakeholders also suggested income projects like beekeeping, eco-tourism, and butterfly farming to benefit local communities.

NMK emphasized that the forest and the communities are inseparable, and any action must respect heritage and culture.

The Committee will continue its review before tabling a report in Parliament.