PS Announces Return of Controversial Shamba System Despite 3 Prior Bans

The government has announced the reintroduction of the Shamba System which will allow Kenyans to conduct farming in public forests across the country.

Forestry Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi made the announcement during the launch of the system in Upper Imenti Forest in Meru County, on Sunday, January 19.

According to him, this bold step will not only benefit farmers by allowing them to plant crops in the forests but also serve a bigger role in tree conservation.

“We have of course introduced the same in other parts of the country in Nyandarua, Nakuru, Kericho, and now we are here and we will reach every part of this country to ensure that our forests remain forests as we conserve them,” he stated.

Speaking during the launch, local leaders and Kenya Forestry officials lauded the programme noting that it would bring much-needed food security, especially to farming communities.

Area MP Moses Kirima decried the decline in food production in Imenti Central and expressed optimism that the initiative would change that.

“Because we have agreed on this, it will also help our agenda as the Kenya Kwanza government of enough food production for Kenyans,” MP Kirima added.

The controversial system was first introduced in colonial Kenya in 1910 and subsequently banned in 1986 when it became evident it was causing deforestation of Kenya’s natural forests. In 1994, it was reintroduced but banned again by President Mwai Kibaki’s regime in 2003.

In 2022, President William Ruto’s government announced plans for the return of the system in a bid to achieve food security in Kenya despite a reevaluation in 2018 recommending a ban on logging and cultivation in forests as long-term repercussions of deforestation outweighed momentary win for farmers.

Although the KFS banned the system in July 2024 citing over-exploitation by farmers, especially in natural forests like the Aberdares, KFS Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko also backed the system during the launch in Meru.

“As KFS, we are on the frontlines to guide in the implementation of the government plan to plant 15 billion trees and also helping in the restoration of our landscapes,” he stated.

Following the ban in 2024, farmers in Nyandarua took to the streets to demonstrate the ban terming it as uncalled for as they had only received a 14-day notice to vacate the Aberdare Forest.

“This government promised to support low-wage earners but this has changed and it’s oppressing us despite our input in conserving forests and addressing food security,” a protestor lamented.