The introduction of Participatory Forestry Management (PFM) in Kenya from 1997 has led to the formation of community-based organizations which have come to be referred to as Community Forest Associations (CFAs). Most of the CFAs are preparing to enter into forest management agreements with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS). This will confer management roles to the community with the KFS retaining the forest resource ownership right and the right to withdraw the agreement in total or part. The CFAs are formed by individual members who join by paying a prescribed membership fee. The CFA structures are rather diverse although this is being harmonized. In forests where PFM is 10 years old, the CFAs are forming confederates, which are being referred to as Umbrella CFAs.
The Arabuko–Sokoke Forest Adjacent Dwellers Association (ASFADA) is a confederate of three CFAs and large user groups. Its role has been expanding from lobbying to conflict management, fund-raising, negotiating with the KFS during most of the meetings, initiating rural development and forestry development activities, and more importantly, developing systems that are introducing equity principles and addressing the needs of the poor and disadvantaged members of the community. The latter is posing a challenge to the elite, Government, and nongovernment officers who witness forest-adjacent communities’ start projects like butterfly farming, bee keeping, farm forestry initiatives, and eco-tourism facilities.
The Meru Forest Environment and Forest Protection Community Association (MEFECAP) is an umbrella to over 50 user groups involved in diverse activities ranging from forest protection, monitoring, and management to water extraction and distribution. These initiatives are adding value to PFM in a situation where otherwise communities would hardly have obtained any benefit from the forest. While the confederates are accomplishing all of these activities they are facing a challenge as they are not recognised by the forest legislation. This is putting them in a weak position since in some forests this is being used to deny them the right to participate and even threatening them with being disbanded. This scenario is arising because the confederates are emerging as centers of power and the CFAs are falling back to them when they face difficulties as they negotiate management rights with the KFS. Donors are warming to the CFAs, with some donors running projects, a development the forest officers are viewing as threat to their status. The elite are also fighting the confederates as they are shifting the community focus from them. A strategy needs to be developed to make the forest officers and the elite view the confederates as partners in forestry management and rural development.
