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In a public notice issued on Monday, KFS said the proposed airstrip would be located at Kithoka Beat in Meru Forest Station and occupy approximately 11 hectares of land.
Speaking on Tuesday, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura addressed growing public concerns and misinformation surrounding the project.
The group said indigenous trees have been felled since the weekend by people using chainsaws, with heavy machines later deployed to remove stumps close to the Rangers Village where forest officers live.
The project involves installing roughly 55 kilometers of fencing to protect 6,014 hectares of forest. KFS said that all legal requirements, including stakeholder consultations and public participation, were properly followed before the work began.
The agency cautioned drivers and business operators involved in the movement of timber, logs, poles and charcoal, saying there had been a notable increase in fraudulent permits circulating in the sector.
The update follows recent security concerns and debates surrounding the management of Karura Forest after the KFS assumed control from the Community Forest Association.
A video widely circulated online showed what appeared to be a massive python slithering across a murram road within the forest before disappearing into the undergrowth.
The proposed amendment to the Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2016, introduces a clause enabling KFS to provide “technical assistance to the county governments and individual owners of private land in the development of agro-forestry and commercial forestry in private land and community land.”
While KFS says the policy shift aims to improve transparency and prevent revenue leakages, conservation groups argue that such an abrupt transition undermines long-standing partnerships and could threaten the sustainable management of public forests.
This new directive takes effect from Friday, August 29, 2025, and includes payments for services at all entry points, including the Sigiria block.
The Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA), and National Biosafety Authority (NBA) all reported crippling staff shortages
The audit also exposed further legal failures, noting that KFS had paid Sh8.17 million in compensation in some cases after failing to attend court to defend itself.