Who you are

Six partnership pathways. One institution.

KEFRI partners look different — from international development banks to individual county governments. Each partnership is grounded in what KEFRI can credibly offer: science, field infrastructure, and institutional authority.

Pathway 01
NGOs & Restoration Organisations

Scientific backing for restoration programmes — species selection review, methodology validation, monitoring support, and the KEFRI Technical Endorsement for your programme.

Technical Validation Consultancy Training
NGO partnership pathway
Pathway 02
Development Partners & Donors

Bilateral, multilateral, and foundation collaboration — embedding KEFRI's scientific authority into development programmes with forest, land, and climate components across Kenya and East Africa.

Programme Design Technical Backstop Research
Development partner pathway
Pathway 03
County Governments

Kenya's 47 county governments are KEFRI's closest implementation partners — from county forest strategy development to species guidance, extension support, and monitoring for county tree planting targets.

Technical Assistance Strategy Support Training
County partnership pathway
Pathway 04
Timber & Forest Industry

Commercial forestry partnerships — timber testing, species productivity data, investment appraisal, plantation management advisory, and access to KEFRI's wood properties database for product development.

Lab Testing Investment Advisory Species Data
Industry partnership pathway
Pathway 05
Research Institutions & Universities

Academic and scientific collaboration — joint research programmes, field station access, data sharing, postgraduate co-supervision, and the FORNESA, AFORNET, and NGARA network secretariats.

Joint Research Data Access Co-supervision
Research partnership pathway
Pathway 06
Carbon Developers & Climate Finance

Scientific underpinning for forest carbon projects — methodology review, carbon stock data, sequestration rate verification, and the KEFRI Technical Endorsement for carbon project design and monitoring plans.

Carbon Data Methodology Review Endorsement
Carbon partnership pathway
Pathway 01 · NGOs & Restoration

Restoration programmes backed by Kenya's forestry science authority

The most common question KEFRI receives from restoration NGOs is one of credibility: how do we assure funders, governments, and communities that our methodology is scientifically sound? KEFRI's partnership provides exactly that — scientific validation, species guidance, and monitoring support from the institution that has studied Kenya's forests longest.

What KEFRI offers NGO partners
Technical Endorsement for your methodology
KEFRI's formal scientific review and endorsement of your restoration methodology, species selection, and monitoring framework. Used by 18 NGO programmes as a funder-facing credential in 2024.
Species selection guidance per site
KEFRI scientists review your programme's species selection against KEFRI's 380-species knowledge base and site-specific research, and flag any concerns or improvements before you plant.
Monitoring protocol design and review
Review of your monitoring framework against KEFRI's long-term plot monitoring experience. Design support for indicator frameworks, data collection tools, and reporting aligned with international restoration standards.
Staff training at KEFRI's research centres
KEFRI's training programme for NGO field and programme staff covers restoration planning, species identification, monitoring methods, and forest carbon basics — with field practicals at KEFRI's research stations.
Partnership case study
GreenAfrica Restoration Initiative — Dryland Programme Validation
GreenAfrica approached KEFRI for technical validation of their 50,000-hectare dryland restoration programme across Kitui, Makueni, and Machakos counties. KEFRI's review identified three species being incorrectly recommended for the drier sites, replaced them with Melia volkensii certified seed varieties, and validated the revised methodology. The endorsement was used in GreenAfrica's successful USD 12M funding application to a Scandinavian development bank.
50k ha
Programme scale
USD 12M
Funding secured
3
Species corrections
View Technical Validation
NGO & Restoration Partners
Active partnership framework
Typical timeline
Initial endorsement: 3–4 weeks. Ongoing partnership: programme duration.
What you receive
Signed technical endorsement letter, methodology review report, and KEFRI reference number for use in funding applications.
Current NGO partners
WWF Kenya, VI Agroforestry, AFR100, Eden Reforestation Projects, GreenAfrica, and 14 others
Contact
partnerships@kefri.org · +254 20 2010651
Technical Validation Service
Pathway 02 · Development Partners

Scientific authority inside your programme. Not a sub-contractor — a co-architect.

Development programmes with forestry, land, and climate components need credible science embedded from the start — not retrospective validation. KEFRI works as a technical partner in programme design, contributing species knowledge, site data, scientific oversight, and the institutional credibility of Kenya's national forestry research authority.

Partnership modes for development partners
Technical backstop for programme design
KEFRI scientists embedded as technical advisors during programme design phases — contributing to species selection, site assessment criteria, restoration methodology, and monitoring framework development.
Capacity building for implementing organisations
KEFRI's training programme for NGO, county, and community implementing organisations within your programme portfolio — silviculture, monitoring, species knowledge, and governance.
Independent monitoring and quality assurance
KEFRI provides independent technical monitoring and quality assurance for programme implementation — using scientific standards from our long-term monitoring experience.
Research co-investment
Co-investment in KEFRI research programmes that generate knowledge directly relevant to your programme geography or thematic area — with joint publication and data access rights.
Current partnership
UNEP Great Green Wall — Technical Support for Kenya Component
KEFRI serves as the technical partner for Kenya's component of the Great Green Wall programme — providing species selection data, restoration methodology development, county technical assistance, and an independent monitoring programme across six dryland counties. Programme scale: 2M hectares.
2M ha
Programme scope
6
Dryland counties
2023–28
Programme period
Technical Assistance Service
Development Partners
Bilateral, multilateral & foundation
Current partners
UNEP, FAO, World Bank, GIZ, USAID, DFID, Sida, and 4 others
Partnership instruments
MOU, Technical Services Agreement, or Joint Programme Framework
Typical engagement
Programme design phase through to 3–5 year delivery and monitoring
Contact a Scientist
Pathway 03 · County Governments

KEFRI's regional centres are already in your county. Let's make it formal.

Kenya's 47 counties each have a KEFRI regional centre within reach — providing direct access to field scientists, species knowledge specific to that county's ecosystem, and decades of experimental data. A formal MOU with KEFRI gives county governments structured access to technical support, training, and scientific backing for their forest targets.

What KEFRI offers county partners
County forest strategy technical input
KEFRI scientists review and contribute to county integrated development plan forest chapters — providing species selection, target-setting guidance, and evidence annexes. Available for all 47 counties through the relevant regional centre.
Species guidance specific to your county
Every county has a KEFRI species profile — the recommended species for each ecosystem, soil type, and altitude band within that county, drawn from field research rather than generic lists.
Training for county extension officers
KEFRI delivers in-county training for county extension officers and forest officers — silviculture fundamentals, species identification, agroforestry design, monitoring methods, and forest governance.
Regional centre field support
Direct access to the KEFRI regional centre serving your county — site visits, field assessments, nursery inspection, and technical troubleshooting for county programmes in delivery.
County partnership case
Kitui County Government — 5-Year Forest Partnership MOU
Kitui County formalised a 5-year MOU with KEFRI in 2022 — providing species selection guidance for Kitui's dryland restoration programme, training for 120 county extension officers, monthly field visits from KEFRI Kitui Centre scientists, and independent monitoring data for the county's CIDP forest commitments. Kitui has since achieved the highest dryland tree planting survival rate of any county in Kenya's Restoration Programme.
120
Officers trained
74%
Survival rate (vs 45% avg)
2022–27
MOU period
View Your County Profile
County Governments
All 47 counties covered
Geographic reach
All 47 counties via 5 regional centres and Muguga HQ
Partnership instrument
Memorandum of Understanding — typically 3–5 years
Active county MOUs
15 counties with active KEFRI MOUs as of 2024
Technical Assistance
Pathway 04 · Timber & Forest Industry

The data your industry decisions need. From the institution that generated it.

Kenya's timber and forest products industry makes investment decisions based on species productivity data, timber quality information, and market intelligence. KEFRI has the most comprehensive dataset in East Africa on all three — accumulated across 90 years of field research and laboratory testing. Commercial partnerships give industry access to this data, and to KEFRI's technical advisory on investment and product decisions.

Industry partnership services
ISO-certified timber testing access
Priority access to KEFRI's ISO 9001-certified timber testing laboratory at Karura — mechanical property testing, durability assessment, moisture content, and product quality testing for commercial and regulatory purposes.
Investment appraisal technical support
KEFRI's yield data — from decades of permanent sample plots — for investment appraisal of plantation timber ventures. Species comparison, site suitability, and realistic yield projections using actual field data, not models.
Wood properties data access
Licensed access to KEFRI's Wood Properties Database — mechanical and physical properties for 180+ species, for product design, structural specification, and export market compliance documentation.
Seed and nursery technical support
Certified seed supply guidance, nursery establishment advice, and technical support for plantation establishment — drawing on KEFRI's certified seed stand network and seed technology programme.
Laboratory Services
Industry Partners
Commercial forestry collaboration
ISO certification
ISO 9001:2015 certified laboratory — recognised for regulatory and commercial testing purposes
Industry partners
Kenya Forest Service, Pan African Paper Mills, Kenya Timbers, and commercial plantation investors
Data access
Wood Properties Database licensed under institutional agreements — contact for pricing
Data Portal
Pathway 05 · Research Institutions

90 years of field data. 6 research centres. Open to collaboration.

KEFRI's research infrastructure — long-term experimental plots, 180,000+ specimen collections, six field stations, and a team of specialist scientists — represents a unique resource for East African forestry science. We actively seek joint research, data partnerships, and co-supervision arrangements with academic and research institutions globally.

Research collaboration pathways
Joint research programmes
Co-designed research projects using KEFRI's field infrastructure, data, and scientific expertise. Formal agreements covering data sharing, publication rights, and researcher access established within 4 weeks.
Field station access
Research access to KEFRI's six field stations for data collection, specimen collection, and experimental work — governed by a formal field access and data sharing agreement.
Postgraduate co-supervision
KEFRI scientists co-supervise PhD and MSc students through partnerships with Kenyan and international universities. Contact individual scientists through the Expert Directory.
East African network participation
KEFRI hosts the secretariats of FORNESA (22 countries), NGARA (12 countries), and co-hosts AFORNET. Research institutions can participate in network activities, joint publications, and researcher mobility programmes.
Contact a Scientist
Research Partners
Universities & research institutions
Proposal review
Research collaboration proposals reviewed within 10 working days by relevant programme lead
University partners
University of Nairobi, Moi University, JKUAT, Oxford, Wageningen, and 14 others
Available sites
Muguga, Gede, Kitui, Londiani, Maseno, Karura NFPRC
Research Networks
Pathway 06 · Carbon & Climate Finance

Carbon project science from Kenya's only long-term carbon sequestration research programme.

Forest carbon projects in Kenya need credible, locally-derived scientific data on sequestration rates, species performance, and monitoring methodology. KEFRI's 15-year longitudinal carbon study — the most comprehensive long-term carbon dataset for East African plantation systems — provides exactly that foundation. The KEFRI Technical Endorsement is increasingly referenced by voluntary carbon market verifiers as a credibility standard for Kenyan forestry projects.

Carbon partnership services
Carbon project methodology endorsement
KEFRI's formal scientific review of forest carbon project methodology — species selection, additionality argument, carbon stock estimation methods, monitoring plan, and leakage assessment. Endorsed projects receive the KEFRI Technical Endorsement letter.
Carbon data for project baseline
Licensed access to KEFRI's carbon sequestration dataset — species-specific sequestration rates, biomass accumulation curves, and site quality modifiers — for use in VCS, Gold Standard, or other carbon project baseline development.
Monitoring and verification support
KEFRI scientists can conduct or oversee periodic carbon stock measurements for active projects — providing independent monitoring data that strengthens verification outcomes.
Expert advisory for project design
KEFRI scientists provide expert advisory during carbon project design — reviewing species selection, stocking density, rotation decisions, and permanence risk assessment from a scientific perspective.
Endorsement case
East Africa Carbon Alliance — Highland Forest Carbon Programme
KEFRI reviewed and endorsed the carbon methodology for a 12,000-hectare highland plantation carbon project in Nyandarua and Laikipia counties. The review confirmed species appropriateness, corrected a sequestration rate that exceeded published literature, and issued a formal endorsement that was included in the project's VCS validation documents. The project achieved VCS certification within 18 months of KEFRI review.
12k ha
Project scale
VCS
Certification achieved
18mo
To certification
Technical Validation
Carbon & Climate
Voluntary carbon & REDD+
Endorsement timeline
Methodology review: 15–20 working days. Endorsement letter issued within 5 days of positive review.
Active endorsements
5 carbon projects currently hold KEFRI Technical Endorsement (2024)
Data access
Carbon sequestration dataset available under licensed data agreement for project baseline development
Carbon Data Portal
Current Partners

KEFRI partners in 2024

Organisations we partner with across research, development, conservation, government, and commercial forestry — as of 2024.

UNEP
FAO
World Bank
GIZ
USAID
Sida
WWF Kenya
AFR100
VI Agroforestry
Kenya Forest Service
University of Nairobi
Wageningen University
CIFOR-ICRAF
GBIF
Eden Projects
GreenAfrica
15 County Govts
Oxford University
How It Works

From enquiry to active partnership in 6 weeks

KEFRI's partnership process is designed to be direct and efficient — we don't believe in lengthy procurement processes for straightforward scientific collaborations.

1
Submit enquiry
Use the partnership enquiry form below. Include your organisation type, what you're trying to achieve, and what kind of partnership you're interested in.
Day 1
2
Initial review
KEFRI's partnership team reviews your enquiry and routes it to the relevant programme lead or scientist. You receive an initial response within 5 working days.
Days 2–5
3
Scoping discussion
A call or meeting with the relevant KEFRI team to define the scope, what each party contributes, and what the partnership agreement should cover.
Week 2
4
Agreement drafted
KEFRI drafts an MOU or service agreement based on the scoping discussion. Simple, straightforward language — not legal complexity for its own sake.
Weeks 3–4
5
Active partnership
Agreement signed. Partnership begins. You have a named KEFRI contact and a clear framework for the collaboration — with regular review built in.
Week 5–6
Start a Partnership

Tell us what you're working on

KEFRI's partnership team reviews every enquiry personally and responds within 5 working days. The right response comes from the right scientist — not an administrator routing a form.

5 working day response
Not an automated acknowledgement — a response from the scientist or partnership lead relevant to your enquiry type.
Named KEFRI contact from the start
Every partnership starts with a named scientist or programme lead who owns the relationship.
Confidential and professional
All information shared with KEFRI in partnership enquiries is treated as strictly confidential.
No partnership is too small
Whether you're a county government or a major multilateral, KEFRI assesses every enquiry on its scientific and programmatic merits.
Partnership Enquiry
All fields marked * are required. We'll respond within 5 working days.
Enquiry received

Thank you for your partnership enquiry. KEFRI's team will review it and respond within 5 working days. For urgent enquiries, contact partnerships@kefri.org directly.