Ministry Seeks increased Recurrent Budget to Support Forestry Personnel and Key Programmes

The State Department for Forestry proposed an increase in its recurrent budget for the 2025/26 financial year to address a shortfall in Personal Emoluments at the Kenya Forestry Research Institute and to fully cover personnel costs for staff at the Kenya Forest Service.

The Supplementary Estimates for the 2025/26 financial year were presented by Deborah M. Barasa, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, to the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining during a meeting held in Machakos.

The Committee, chaired by Vincent Musyoka, reviewed the proposed allocations aimed at strengthening the operational capacity of the forestry sector.

Accompanying the Cabinet Secretary was Forestry Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi, who emphasized the importance of timely budgetary support to sustain operations within the sector. He noted that adequate funding for personnel emoluments is critical in maintaining staff morale, ensuring institutional stability, and supporting the effective delivery of forest conservation and restoration programmes across the country.

The proposed additional funding is expected to facilitate the settlement of contractual obligations relating to personnel emoluments and gratuity for staff within the Ministry and its agencies. It will also help address existing financial gaps that have affected the timely payment of staff-related obligations.

Part of the funds will support the implementation of the Government’s 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme, which aims to restore degraded landscapes and increase national tree cover in line with Kenya’s climate change mitigation and adaptation commitments.

The Ministry further noted that the supplementary allocation will enable the settlement of outstanding obligations arising from court awards, which have placed additional financial pressure on the sector.

Dr. Barasa stated that the additional allocation will support critical programmes, including the implementation of the 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme, settlement of outstanding court awards, and strengthening of oversight, monitoring, and evaluation mechanisms to ensure effective delivery of forestry projects.

The funding will also enhance oversight, monitoring, and evaluation of ongoing forestry and environmental projects, ensuring that programmes achieve their intended outcomes while promoting sustainable forest management and ecosystem restoration efforts across the country.

Also present during the session were senior Ministry officials led by Forest Development Secretary George Tarus, Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko, Kenya Forestry Research Institute CEO Jane Njuguna, and Secretary Administration Patrick Meso.