Service Ecosystem

Six services. One institution. Kenya's forestry authority.

Every KEFRI service is delivered by scientists who have spent careers in Kenya's forests. No generic consulting frameworks. No imported methodology. Evidence from our own research centres, applied to your specific challenge.

Service 01
Laboratory & Testing

ISO 9001-certified timber strength testing, forest product analysis, seed quality certification, and soil and site analysis — delivered from the National Forest Products Research Centre at Karura.

Timber Industry Manufacturers Certification Bodies
Book a laboratory test
Service 02
Consultancy & Advisory

Expert advisory for forest management planning, commercial investment appraisal, restoration programme design, and environmental impact assessment support. Grounded in KEFRI's field research, not imported frameworks.

Investors Carbon Developers NGOs
Engage KEFRI
Service 03
Technical Assistance

Dedicated technical support for county governments, NGOs, and development partners designing and implementing forest programmes. KEFRI's regional centre network provides direct on-the-ground reach across Kenya.

County Governments NGOs Development Partners
Request assistance
Service 04
Technical Validation

KEFRI's formal scientific review and endorsement of restoration methodologies, carbon project designs, and species selection approaches. The credential that opens doors with funders, governments, and carbon market verifiers.

Restoration Organisations Carbon Developers
Request validation
Service 05
Training & Courses

Professional development for forestry practitioners — silviculture, forest products, climate-smart forestry, carbon project design, and forest governance. In-person at KEFRI centres and online.

County Officers NGO Staff Practitioners
View training calendar
Service 06
Research Collaboration

Joint research with universities and international institutions, field station access, data sharing agreements, postgraduate co-supervision, and student attachment programmes across KEFRI's six research centres.

Universities Research Institutions Students
Propose collaboration
Service 01 · NFPRC Karura

Laboratory & Testing Services

Kenya's national forest products laboratory — ISO 9001-certified testing for timber, forest products, seeds, and soils. Delivered from the National Forest Products Research Centre at Karura, with turnaround times and standards that support product certification, supply chain decisions, and regulatory compliance.

Available tests — click to enquire
Timber Strength Testing
Modulus of rupture, compression, shear, and stiffness · East African and international standards
10–15 working days
Timber Durability & Treatment Analysis
Natural durability class, preservative penetration, and retention testing for treated timber
15–20 working days
Moisture Content & Density
Oven-dry density, air-dry density, and equilibrium moisture content testing
5–8 working days
Seed Quality Testing & Certification
Germination rate, purity, moisture content, and viability testing for certified seed lots
8–12 working days
Composite & Engineered Wood Products
Plywood, particleboard, MDF, and glulam testing — bond strength, formaldehyde emission, and structural properties
12–18 working days
Soil & Site Analysis
pH, texture, nutrient status, and organic matter for plantation and restoration site assessment
10–15 working days
How to book a laboratory test
1
Submit request
Use our service request form or contact the NFPRC directly
2
Send samples
Receive sample preparation guidance and dispatch instructions
3
Testing
ISO-certified testing by KEFRI's wood technology scientists
4
Results report
Certified results report with data, interpretation, and KEFRI stamp
NFPRC Karura
National Forest Products Research Centre
Certification
ISO 9001:2015 certified laboratory
Location
Karura Forest, Nairobi County
Turnaround
5–20 working days depending on test type
Contact
nfprc@kefri.org · +254 20 2010656
Service 02 · Expert Advisory

Consultancy & Advisory Services

KEFRI's consultancy is what distinguishes it from every other forestry advisory available in Kenya: the advice comes from scientists who conducted the research — in Kenya's specific ecosystems, with Kenya's specific species. Not models imported from elsewhere. Evidence from our own decades-long field programmes.

Advisory areas
Forest management planning
Forest management plan development for community forests, private plantations, and conservation areas. Species selection, stocking, rotation design, and harvest scheduling based on KEFRI's productivity data.
Commercial investment appraisal
Technical feasibility assessment for timber plantation investments — species selection, yield projections, site suitability, risk assessment, and long-term planning support. Using KEFRI's permanent sample plot yield data, not estimated models.
Restoration programme design
Technical design of large-scale restoration programmes — ecological site assessment, species mix design, establishment methodology, monitoring frameworks, and adaptive management guidance.
Carbon project technical advisory
Technical input for forest carbon project design — species selection, carbon stock methodology, baseline development, and monitoring protocol design. Using KEFRI's published carbon sequestration research.
Engagement process
1
Initial inquiry
Submit your challenge and scope. KEFRI reviews within 5 working days.
2
Scoping call
Discussion with the relevant programme lead to define scope, timeline, and deliverables.
3
Proposal & agreement
KEFRI provides a formal advisory proposal with scope, timeline, and fees.
4
Advisory delivery
Technical advisory with written report, data, and recommendations.
Expert Advisory
Field-grounded consultancy services
Delivered by
KEFRI programme scientists with field research expertise
Typical timeline
2–8 weeks depending on scope and field visits
Coverage
All 47 counties via regional centre network
Service 03 · Programme Support

Technical Assistance

KEFRI's technical assistance service provides sustained, direct technical support for county governments, NGOs, development partners, and restoration organisations designing and implementing forestry programmes. Not a one-off report. Ongoing field presence and scientific backing through KEFRI's regional centre network.

What technical assistance includes
County forest strategy development
Technical input into county integrated development plans — species selection guidance, target setting, programme design, and evidence annexes using KEFRI's county profiles and research.
NGO programme design support
Technical guidance for NGO restoration and agroforestry programmes — from initial site assessment and species selection through to monitoring protocol development and mid-term technical review.
Monitoring & evaluation support
Design of forest monitoring protocols, indicator frameworks, and data collection tools aligned with international standards. Field verification of programme outcomes using KEFRI's monitoring methodology.
Development partner programme alignment
Technical backstopping for bilateral and multilateral programmes with forestry components — providing scientific oversight, quality assurance, and adaptive management support through KEFRI's national network.
Engagement options
1
Short-term review
One-time technical review of a programme design or methodology. Delivered within 3 weeks.
2
Programme advisory
Sustained advisory relationship across a programme cycle. Quarterly technical reviews and field visits.
3
Formal MOU
Formalised partnership under a Memorandum of Understanding — for counties and long-term partners.
Technical Assistance
For counties, NGOs & development partners
Geographic reach
All 47 counties via 5 regional centres
Response time
Initial scoping call within 5 working days
Eligibility
Open to county governments, NGOs, development partners, and research institutions
Service 04 · New Service · 2024

Technical Validation & Endorsement

KEFRI's most distinctive service — and the one no other institution in Kenya can provide. A formal scientific review of your restoration methodology, species selection, or carbon project design by KEFRI's scientists. Validated programmes receive the KEFRI Technical Endorsement — a credential that is increasingly recognised by major funders and the Kenyan government as evidence of scientific soundness.

KEFRI Technical Endorsement
The credential that opens doors
Funders increasingly require evidence that restoration methodologies are ecologically sound and site-appropriate. Government agencies need assurance that programmes will deliver on restoration commitments. Carbon market verifiers need technically credible species and carbon stock data. KEFRI's Technical Endorsement provides all three — in a single, authoritative credential from Kenya's statutory forestry science institution.
Restoration programmes Carbon project methodologies Agroforestry systems Species selection reviews Monitoring frameworks
What KEFRI validates
Ecological appropriateness
Are the selected species ecologically appropriate for the programme site, soil, rainfall, and ecosystem? KEFRI reviews against its species-site matching database and published research.
Species selection rigour
Is the species mix appropriate for the stated restoration goal? Are there better-suited species for the specific site context that have been overlooked? KEFRI assesses against its 380-species knowledge base.
Monitoring methodology
Are the monitoring indicators scientifically appropriate and measurable? KEFRI assesses the monitoring framework against published restoration monitoring standards and its own long-term plot monitoring experience.
Validation process
1
Submit methodology
Submit your programme methodology document via the service request form
2
KEFRI review
Scientists from the relevant programme review against KEFRI's knowledge base (10–15 working days)
3
Technical feedback
Written technical review with recommendations for any required methodology revisions
4
Endorsement issued
Formal written endorsement with KEFRI signature and programme reference number
Technical Validation
The KEFRI Endorsement credential
Validation timeline
10–20 working days from submission to endorsement
What to submit
Methodology document, site description, species selection rationale, and monitoring framework
Programmes validated
18 programmes currently hold KEFRI Technical Endorsement (2024)
Service 06 · Academic & Research

Research Collaboration

KEFRI's research infrastructure — six field stations across Kenya's ecological zones, 90 years of long-term experimental plots, 180,000+ biodiversity specimens, and a team of specialist scientists — is open to collaboration. We work with universities, international research organisations, and individual researchers whose work aligns with Kenya's forestry knowledge needs.

Collaboration pathways
Joint research programmes
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. Formal collaboration agreements established within 4 weeks.
Field station access
Research access to KEFRI's six field stations — permanent sample plots, provenance trial sites, herbarium, and laboratory facilities. Access granted through a formal data-sharing and field access agreement.
Postgraduate co-supervision
KEFRI scientists co-supervise PhD and MSc students through partnerships with Kenyan and international universities. Contact the relevant scientist directly through the Expert Directory, or submit a university partnership inquiry.
Data access agreements
Access KEFRI's historical datasets — long-term plot records, species trial data, provenance records, and biodiversity collections — through a formal data sharing agreement with defined attribution requirements.
Contact a Scientist Directly
Research Collaboration
Academic and research partnerships
Who can apply
Universities, research institutions, and qualified individual researchers
Response time
Proposal reviewed within 10 working days
Available stations
Muguga, Gede, Kitui, Londiani, Maseno, Karura NFPRC
Scientist Directory
Service Request

Request a KEFRI service

Tell us what you need. Every service request is reviewed by the relevant KEFRI team — not filtered by an administrator — and you'll receive a substantive response from the scientist or service lead within 5 working days.

5 working day response Every service request receives a substantive response — not an automated acknowledgement.
Scientist to scientist Complex technical requests go directly to the relevant KEFRI programme scientist or service lead.
Confidential and professional All service requests and information shared with KEFRI are treated as confidential.
Service Enquiry Form
All fields marked with * are required. You'll receive a response within 5 working days.
Request submitted successfully

Thank you for your service enquiry. The relevant KEFRI team will review your request and respond within 5 working days. For urgent laboratory bookings, you can also contact the NFPRC directly at nfprc@kefri.org or +254 20 2010656.