East Africa's
Authoritative
Forestry Platform
The knowledge, tools, and scientific expertise behind every well-planted tree, every restoration programme, and every forest policy decision in Kenya.
Find your pathway into the platform
KEFRI's knowledge, tools, and services are organised around what you need to accomplish — not how we're structured internally.
Find the right species for your land, access certified seed sources, and get practical planting guidance tailored to your county and soil type.
Design evidence-based restoration programmes, access technical validation, and partner with Kenya's authoritative forestry institution.
Access county-specific forest profiles, policy evidence, and KEFRI technical assistance for county forest strategy development.
Search KEFRI's publications archive, access biodiversity collections, and explore collaboration with Kenya's national forestry science institution.
Access the Wood Properties Database, book laboratory testing, and find commercial species data for plantation and product decisions.
Explore KEFRI's strategic capabilities, review impact evidence, and initiate partnerships with East Africa's authoritative forestry institution.
Access KEFRI's learning resources, apply for research attachments, and explore forestry career pathways with Kenya's leading forestry institution.
Platform scale and reach
KEFRIApp: What should you plant, and where?
Kenya's most trusted species-to-site matching platform. Powered by nearly a century of KEFRI field research, KEFRIApp tells farmers, NGOs, and restoration practitioners exactly which species will thrive on their specific land — by county, soil type, rainfall zone, and purpose.
Forestry knowledge, organised for action
Carbon sequestration rates in Kenyan highland forest plantations: A 15-year longitudinal study
Analysis of long-term carbon accumulation across Pinus patula, Cupressus lusitanica, and indigenous species mixtures in central highland ecosystems, with implications for carbon project design.
Dryland restoration at scale: A practitioner's guide to species selection and establishment in semi-arid Kenya
Comprehensive field guidance for restoration practitioners working in Kenya's drylands — covering site assessment, species matching, planting techniques, and survival monitoring protocols.
Forest cover targets and county forest strategies: Evidence for the 30% Kenya commitment
Policy brief synthesising KEFRI's research evidence on species selection, restoration approaches, and governance frameworks to support county-level contributions to Kenya's national forest cover target.
Mangrove ecosystem recovery along Kenya's coast: Monitoring outcomes of restoration interventions 2018–2023
Five-year monitoring study assessing mangrove restoration success rates, species establishment, and ecosystem function recovery across three coastal restoration sites in Kilifi and Kwale counties.
Melia volkensii: Complete growing guide for dryland agroforestry and commercial timber production
Comprehensive species guide covering site requirements, establishment methods, management under semi-arid conditions, timber properties, and economic analysis for smallholder and commercial applications in Kitui and Makueni.
Agroforestry systems for smallholder farmers in Kenya's highlands: Species, spacing, and management
Extension-focused guide presenting evidence-based agroforestry designs for highland smallholders, with species recommendations, planting configurations, and income projections for common farm types.
Five programmes. Kenya's entire forest landscape.
KEFRI's research architecture spans the full forestry spectrum — from tree genetics and silviculture to policy, forest products, and climate adaptation.
Tree domestication in Kenya's drylands: advancing Melia volkensii from wild collection to improved seed stands
A decade of genetic selection and provenance trial work at KEFRI's Kitui Research Centre has identified high-performing Melia volkensii provenances with significantly improved timber form and drought tolerance — providing certified seed for Kenya's dryland restoration programmes.
Invertebrate biodiversity as an indicator of forest ecosystem health in Kenyan montane forests
Using KEFRI's natural history collection — one of East Africa's largest — to establish baseline invertebrate diversity benchmarks for monitoring forest recovery.
Community forest associations and tenure security: evidence from Kenya's PELIS programme
Policy-relevant research examining how secure tenure arrangements influence smallholder tree planting decisions and long-term forest cover outcomes.
What KEFRI can do for you
Laboratory & Testing
Timber strength and durability testing, forest product analysis, seed quality certification, and soil and site analysis. ISO-certified services from the National Forest Products Research Centre at Karura.
Book a testTraining & Courses
Professional development for forestry practitioners — silviculture, forest products, climate-smart forestry, carbon project design, forest governance. Delivered in-person at KEFRI centres and online.
View course scheduleConsultancy & Advisory
Expert advisory for forest management planning, investment appraisal, programme design, and restoration methodology. Grounded in KEFRI's field research, not generic consulting frameworks.
Engage KEFRITechnical Assistance
Dedicated technical support for county governments, NGOs, and development partners designing and implementing forest programmes. KEFRI's regional centre network provides on-the-ground reach.
Request assistanceTechnical Validation
KEFRI's formal scientific review and endorsement of restoration methodologies, carbon project designs, and species selection approaches. The validation signal that opens doors with funders and governments.
Request validationResearch Collaboration
Joint research with universities and international organisations, field station access, data sharing agreements, and student attachment programmes across KEFRI's six research centres.
Propose collaborationThe scientists behind the science
KEFRI's authority is its people — researchers who have spent careers studying specific ecosystems, species, and forest challenges across Kenya.
Build Kenya's forest future with us
KEFRI partners with governments, NGOs, development organisations, industry, and research institutions to make Kenya's forests more productive, more resilient, and more valuable.
Explore partnership pathwaysTechnical support for county forest strategies, species selection, and programme design aligned with national targets.
Programme co-design, technical oversight, and national delivery reach for bilateral and multilateral investments.
Technical validation, species guidance, and KEFRI endorsement for restoration programmes at any scale.
Joint research, data access, applied trials, and applied science for commercial and academic partners.