Global
Interview conducted by Daria Terenzio from Amref
Professor Karanja Njoroge is a leading figure in environmental activism in Kenya, best known for his pivotal role in the preservation and restoration of Karura Forest in Nairobi.
He was the long-time Chairman of the Friends of Karura Forest (FKF) Community Forest Association and currently serves on its board of directors as an expert member. A prominent advocate for biodiversity conservation, he has often spoken on behalf of the organisation about the sustainable management of the forest. He works alongside other board members and partners such as the Kenya Forest Service to protect the 1,041-hectare urban sanctuary, and also serves as Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Action. Under his leadership, FKF has become a global model for community forest management.
Since 2009, he has served as Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Action (CEA), focusing on natural resource conservation and public participation. He worked closely with Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai to institutionalise the protection of Kenyan forests against land grabbing.
Professor Njoroge is credited with transforming Karura from a degraded and dangerous area into a safe public resource. He led efforts to fence off the forest in 2009 and to remove property speculators who had illegally divided the area into private lots. He also oversaw a management plan to replace exotic species, such as eucalyptus, with native trees, increasing the coverage of indigenous species from 25% in 2010 to 65% in 2025. He stated that the association has invested over 37 million Kenyan shillings and 15 years of volunteer work in forest conservation without direct government funding.
In September 2025, he strongly opposed the government’s decision to centralise payments for forest entry through the eCitizen platform, arguing that this would deprive the local community of the resources needed for daily forest maintenance. He has recently extended his advocacy to the protection of Nairobi National Park, promoting coordinated community approaches to address the capital’s environmental challenges. Professor Njoroge is often described as an authoritative and undaunted voice, capable of defending the rights of local communities and the ecological integrity of Kenya against political and commercial pressures.