KEFRI's research architecture spans the full forestry spectrum — from tree genetics and silviculture to policy, forest products, and climate adaptation. Conducted across six research centres covering Kenya's five major ecological zones since 1934.
KEFRI's research is organised around five thematic programmes that together cover the full spectrum of forestry science — from tree genetics and ecology to products, policy, and support services. Each programme has dedicated scientists, field stations, and a publication record dating back decades.
FPHTI · Programme 1
Forest Productivity, Health & Tree Improvement
The foundational programme of KEFRI's research architecture. FPHTI focuses on the science of growing better trees — from seed genetics and provenance selection to plantation management, health monitoring, and yield improvement. Work in this programme directly feeds KEFRI's seed certification system, KEFRIApp, and the species guidance used by millions of Kenya's tree growers.
Research themes
Tree improvement & domestication: Provenance trials, genetic selection, and improved variety development for Kenya's key commercial and agroforestry species. Currently managing long-term trials for Melia volkensii, Pinus patula, Eucalyptus grandis, and seven indigenous species.
Silviculture & yield research: Long-term permanent sample plots recording growth, yield, and stand dynamics for plantation and natural forest species across Kenya's major ecological zones.
Forest health & pathology: Surveillance and management of forest pests and diseases. Specialist focus on Hypsipyla robusta (shoot borer) in dryland species and Dothistroma needle blight in highland plantations.
Seed technology & certification: Seed collection standards, storage protocols, quality testing, and the KEFRI certified seed stand programme for priority species.
KEFRI's programme for the ecological dimensions of forestry — covering biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, climate mitigation and adaptation, and integrated natural resource management. This programme is the scientific basis for Kenya's forest restoration programmes and international climate commitments, holding the country's most significant natural history collections.
Research themes
Biodiversity assessment & monitoring: Survey, documentation, and long-term monitoring of Kenya's forest biodiversity — from trees and understory plants to invertebrates and fungi. Custodian of KEFRI's 180,000+ specimen natural history collection.
Climate change & carbon forestry: Research on forest carbon stocks, sequestration rates, and climate adaptation. Provides the scientific basis for Kenya's forest sector contributions to NDC targets and REDD+ reporting.
Ecosystem restoration: Evidence-based restoration science for degraded forest landscapes across Kenya's ecological zones. Species selection, establishment methods, and monitoring protocols for landscape-scale restoration programmes.
Watershed & environmental services: Research on forest hydrological functions, erosion control, and the environmental services provided by Kenya's forest landscapes for water catchment areas.
Senior Research Scientist, Forest Ecology & Carbon · Muguga
FH
Dr. Fatuma Hassan
Research Scientist, Coastal & Mangrove Ecology · Gede Centre
GN
Dr. Grace Njoroge
Research Scientist, Biodiversity Collections · Muguga
Featured publication
Carbon sequestration rates in Kenyan highland forest plantations: A 15-year longitudinal study across species mixtures
Ochieng M., Mwangi P., Kariuki J. · KEFRI Muguga · 2024
FPED · Programme 3
Forest Products & Entrepreneurship Development
KEFRI's bridge between the forest and the economy. The Forest Products and Entrepreneurship Development programme investigates the processing, utilisation, and value addition of forest products — connecting silvicultural science to commercial opportunity. Based at the National Forest Products Research Centre (NFPRC) at Karura, this programme underpins KEFRI's laboratory and testing services.
Research themes
Wood technology & properties: Physical and mechanical property testing, durability assessment, and development of the Wood Properties Database covering 180+ commercially relevant species.
Processing & utilisation: Sawing technology, drying, treatment, and finishing research for Kenya's major plantation and indigenous timber species. Serves the commercial timber industry and small-scale processors.
Non-timber forest products: Research on gum arabic, medicinal plants, essential oils, charcoal, and other non-timber products. Focus on production optimisation and value chain development.
Forest enterprise development: Business models, enterprise case studies, and entrepreneurship frameworks for forest product value chains, including women-led and youth-led forest enterprises.
Principal Research Scientist, Wood Technology · Karura NFPRC
RN
Ms. Rosemary Ndung'u
Research Scientist, Forest Enterprise · Karura NFPRC
Featured publication
Timber processing and utilisation guide for Kenya's major plantation species: Sawing, drying, treatment, and finishing
Hassan F., Otieno B. · KEFRI NFPRC Karura · 2022
SPG · Programme 4
Socio-Economic Policy & Governance
The programme that connects KEFRI's scientific knowledge to the political and economic decisions that shape Kenya's forests. SPG researches the human dimensions of forestry — tenure, governance, policy effectiveness, livelihoods, community institutions, and the economic case for forest conservation. It is the primary source of policy-relevant evidence for Kenya's forestry sector.
Research themes
Forest policy & legislation: Analysis of Kenya's forest policy framework, the effectiveness of the Forest Conservation and Management Act 2016, county-level forest governance, and regulatory compliance.
Tenure, rights & community forestry: Research on how land and tree tenure systems affect smallholder tree planting behaviour, community forest associations, and participatory forest management.
Forest livelihoods & economics: Economic valuation of forest ecosystem services, livelihood impacts of forestry programmes, gender dimensions of forest access, and the economic case for Kenya's forest conservation commitments.
Extension & technology adoption: Research on how forestry knowledge and technologies are adopted by different user groups, the effectiveness of extension approaches, and barriers to technology uptake.
Principal Research Scientist, Forest Governance · KEFRI HQ
EW
Dr. Elizabeth Waweru
Research Scientist, Forest Livelihoods · KEFRI HQ
Featured publication
Community forest associations and tenure security: Evidence from Kenya's PELIS programme on smallholder tree planting decisions
Ndungu P., Waweru E. · SPG Programme · 2023
FRSS · Programme 5
Forest Research Support Services
The programme that ensures the quality, integrity, and accessibility of KEFRI's scientific work. FRSS provides the analytical, data management, library, ICT, and capacity-building infrastructure on which all other programmes depend. It also leads KEFRI's training and technology transfer functions, connecting research outputs to the practitioners who need them.
Research themes
Research quality & data management: Statistical support, data management systems, research methodology, and quality assurance across KEFRI's programmes. Custodian of KEFRI's long-term experimental plot records.
Science communication & knowledge management: Publication management, library and documentation services, the KEFRI publications archive, and the platform's knowledge management infrastructure.
Capacity building & training: Design and delivery of KEFRI's training programmes for practitioners, county officers, NGO staff, and students. Manages the attachment and internship programme.
Digital & geospatial services: GIS capacity, spatial analysis, remote sensing, and the technical infrastructure for KEFRIApp and the digital platform.
Principal Research Scientist, Research Services · KEFRI HQ
AN
Ms. Alice Njeru
GIS & Remote Sensing Specialist · KEFRI HQ
Key output
KEFRIApp v2.0 — Species-to-site matching platform expanded to cover 380 species across 47 counties with full planting guide integration
FRSS Programme · KEFRI HQ · 2024
Research Centres
Six centres. Kenya's five ecological zones.
Each KEFRI research centre is strategically located within a distinct ecological zone — providing the field access, long-term experimental plots, and local ecological knowledge that make KEFRI's research site-specific rather than generic.
KEFRI Research Centres — Kenya
Click a centre to learn more
KEFRI Headquarters — Muguga
Kikuyu, Kiambu County · Central Highlands Ecosystem
The national headquarters and principal research station. Muguga houses KEFRI's largest concentration of scientists, the longest-running experimental plots, the natural history collections, and the administrative and scientific leadership of the institute. Altitude 1,950m in the Central Highlands ecosystem.
KEFRI's coastal research station — the primary centre for coastal forest, mangrove, and marine-terrestrial interface research. Gede leads KEFRI's work on mangrove restoration, coastal biodiversity, and the species ecology of Kenya's coastal forests. Located adjacent to Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve.
KEFRI's dryland research centre — the primary station for semi-arid and arid zone forestry research. Kitui leads Kenya's most significant dryland tree improvement work, particularly the Melia volkensii domestication programme that has produced certified seed stands for Kenya's dryland restoration effort. Located at 1,000m in Kitui County.
KEFRI's Rift Valley research station. Londiani focuses on highland plantation management, agroforestry systems research, and the forestry of the Rift Valley ecosystem. It holds significant long-term silvicultural trial plots for Kenya's major plantation species — Pinus patula, Cupressus lusitanica, and Eucalyptus species — at 2,200m altitude.
KEFRI's Lake Victoria basin research station. Maseno focuses on the sub-humid agroforestry systems of western Kenya — the Grevillea-based highland smallholder systems, Markhamia agroforestry, and improved fallow research that has transformed soil management for hundreds of thousands of Lake Victoria basin farmers.
Kenya's specialist forest products research facility — the home of KEFRI's ISO 9001-certified laboratory and testing services. The NFPRC at Karura houses the Wood Properties Laboratory, the Timber Testing Laboratory, and the Forest Products Research Library. It is the primary node for KEFRI's engagement with Kenya's timber and forest products industry.
No other institution in East Africa holds this depth of continuous field research across Kenya's forest landscapes. Every provenance trial, every long-term plot, every species profile builds on decades of cumulative scientific knowledge.
1934
East Africa's first forest research programme
Forestry research begins at Muguga under the East African Agricultural and Forestry Research Organisation (EAAFRO), establishing Kenya's first systematic programme of silvicultural field trials and species evaluation. The founding forest research plots at Muguga are maintained to the present day — now representing over 90 years of continuous measurement, one of Africa's longest-running ecological datasets.
First permanent research plots established at Muguga
1950s–1970s
Regional expansion & species introduction trials
The research programme expands from Muguga to regional centres at Londiani and Maseno, extending Kenya's forestry research across the Rift Valley and Lake Victoria basin ecosystems. Extensive provenance trials for Pinus patula, Cupressus lusitanica, and Eucalyptus species establish the scientific basis for Kenya's plantation forestry sector. The highland plantation industry's species selection, now covering hundreds of thousands of hectares, was directly guided by research from this era.
Londiani and Maseno centres established
1986
KEFRI established as a statutory corporation
Kenya Forestry Research Institute is formally established under the Science and Technology Act (Cap 250), replacing the Kenya Forestry Research Centre within KARI and giving forestry research an independent statutory mandate for the first time. This institutional independence enables KEFRI to establish its own governance structures, research agenda, and funding base — and to formally mandate partnerships with universities, government, and international research organisations.
Statutory mandate established under Science & Technology Act
1990s–2000s
Dryland research, agroforestry expansion & international networks
The Kitui Research Centre is established to address the urgent forestry needs of Kenya's dryland zones — where land degradation is most severe and the need for site-specific species knowledge most acute. KEFRI's agroforestry research programme expands significantly in response to the World Agroforestry Centre's presence in Nairobi, establishing joint research programmes and the Grevillea-based agroforestry system that transforms smallholder farm management across the highlands. KEFRI takes on founding roles in regional networks NGARA, AFORNET, and FORNESA.
Kitui Centre established; NGARA, AFORNET, FORNESA founded
2013
Mandate strengthened under new national legislation
The Science, Technology and Innovation Act No. 28 of 2013 provides KEFRI with a modernised and strengthened statutory basis, explicitly mandating research, technology transfer, and partnerships as core functions. The Forest Conservation and Management Act 2016 further consolidates KEFRI's role as the national forestry research authority with specific responsibilities for supporting Kenya's forest governance and management framework.
STI Act 2013 & FCMA 2016 — mandate confirmed
2015–Present
ISO certification, digital tools & platform transformation
KEFRI achieves ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management) and ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management) certifications — the first Kenyan forestry research institution to hold both standards simultaneously. KEFRIApp is developed and launched, converting decades of species-site matching knowledge into Kenya's first digital decision-support tool for tree growers. The Strategic Plan 2022–2027 sets the agenda for the platform transformation currently underway.
ISO 9001 & 14001 certified · KEFRIApp launched
Active Projects
Research in progress
Current research projects across KEFRI's five programmes. Subscribe to updates to be notified when findings are published.
Phase II Melia volkensii Seed Stand Establishment and Genetic Gain Assessment
Building on the 2022 provenance trial findings, this project is establishing eight certified seed stands from selected superior provenances across Kitui, Makueni, and Isiolo counties. Genetic gain assessments will quantify improvement in timber form, growth rate, and drought tolerance relative to unselected wild populations.
Project progress65%
Dr. Kamau, Dr. Mutua · Kitui Centre
2023–2026
ActiveFBCCEM
Coastal Mangrove Carbon Stock Assessment and Blue Carbon Baseline for Kenya's NDC Reporting
The first comprehensive above-ground and below-ground carbon stock assessment of Kenya's entire mangrove extent, conducted across seven coastal counties. Findings will provide Kenya's government with credible blue carbon data for NDC reporting and REDD+ eligibility, and KEFRI with a scientific basis for mangrove restoration guidance.
Project progress45%
Dr. Hassan, Dr. Ochieng · Gede Centre
2024–2027
ActiveFPHTI
Grevillea robusta Improved Variety Development for Highland Agroforestry Systems
Identification and selection of Grevillea robusta provenances with superior timber quality, growth rate, and compatibility with annual crop intercropping — specifically for Kenya's highland smallholder agroforestry systems. This project will produce certified seed for distribution through KEFRI's extension network.
Project progress55%
Dr. Kibet, Ms. Wangari · Londiani Centre
2022–2025
ActiveSPG
County Forest Governance Assessment: Institutional Capacity and Strategy Implementation across Kenya's 47 Counties
A systematic assessment of county government forestry governance capacity — legal frameworks, staffing, budget allocation, strategy quality, and implementation effectiveness — across all 47 counties. Findings will inform KEFRI's county technical assistance programme and provide government with a national baseline for county forest sector governance.
Project progress30%
Prof. Ndungu, Dr. Waweru · KEFRI HQ
2024–2026
Completing 2025FPED
Wood Density and Mechanical Properties Database Expansion: 80 Additional Indigenous and Naturalised Species
Systematic mechanical testing of 80 species not yet included in KEFRI's Wood Properties Database — focusing on indigenous species and naturalised exotics with commercial potential. Results will expand the database's coverage significantly and support industry decisions on species diversification in timber production and product manufacturing.
Digitisation, georeferencing, and GBIF publication of 40,000 historical insect and invertebrate specimens from KEFRI's natural history collection — extending the accessible biodiversity database by approximately 22%. Priority on forest Coleoptera (beetles), Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), and forest hymenoptera with ecological indicator significance.
Project progress42%
Dr. Njoroge, Dr. Ochieng · Muguga
2024–2026
Research Networks
KEFRI leads East Africa's forestry research network.
Beyond Kenya's borders, KEFRI holds convening roles in three regional forestry research networks — connecting scientists, institutions, and knowledge across Eastern and Southern Africa.
NG
Lead Institution
NGARA
Network for Natural Gums and Resins in Africa
KEFRI leads the NGARA network — connecting research institutions across 12 African countries working on gum arabic, gum karaya, frankincense, myrrh, and other commercially significant natural gum and resin species. The network coordinates provenance research, market intelligence, and value chain development for non-timber forest products of regional economic significance.
12
Member countries
28
Partner institutions
1994
Founded
AF
Founding Member & Host
AFORNET
Agroforestry Research Network for Africa
A pan-African network connecting national research institutions working on agroforestry systems — from species selection and farm-level trial design to policy environments and technology scaling. KEFRI's agroforestry research programme forms the Kenyan node of AFORNET, contributing species evaluation data, extension methodology research, and training capacity to the wider network.
18
Member countries
35
Partner institutions
1989
Founded
FO
Secretariat Host
FORNESA
Forestry Research Network for Sub-Saharan Africa
A broader forestry research coordination network for sub-Saharan Africa, facilitating collaborative research programmes, joint publications, researcher mobility, and shared field infrastructure across the region. KEFRI hosts the FORNESA secretariat, providing the administrative and communication hub for regional network coordination across 22 African member countries.
22
Member countries
40+
Partner institutions
1997
Founded
Research Collaboration
Want to research Kenya's forests with KEFRI?
KEFRI's research infrastructure — six field stations, 90 years of experimental plots, 180,000+ biodiversity specimens, and a team of specialist scientists — is open to collaboration. We work with universities, international research organisations, development partners, and individual researchers.
Co-design research projects using KEFRI's field infrastructure and scientific expertise. Share data, co-author publications, and contribute to Kenya's forestry knowledge base.
Field station access
Apply for access to KEFRI's research stations for field data collection, experimental work, or long-term ecological monitoring at any of our six locations.
Postgraduate co-supervision
KEFRI scientists co-supervise PhD and MSc students through partnerships with Kenyan and international universities. Contact the relevant programme scientist directly.
Data access agreements
Access KEFRI's historical datasets — long-term plot data, species trial records, and biodiversity collections — through a formal data sharing agreement.