By Benadeta Mwaura - Reporter
Kenya, July 21, 2026 - Kenya's timber and wood products industry is headed for a fresh compliance exercise after the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) introduced mandatory re-registration for all investors seeking to access timber and other forest plantation materials from State forests over the next two financial years.
The new requirements affect small, medium and large-scale timber investors, including existing license holders, sawmillers, plywood manufacturers, pole treatment firms and businesses dealing in fuel wood and pulpwood, as the government moves to tighten oversight of the country's commercial forestry sector.
Under the new framework, all investors must register through KFS's online e-registration portal for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years, regardless of whether they previously held licences issued by the agency. Applications will close on August 11 at noon.
In a notice announcing the exercise, KFS directed applicants to familiarize themselves with the registration guidelines before submitting applications.
"Note also that all applicants are required to visit the KFS website www.kenyaforestservice.org and www.environment.go.ke for a copy of the document guiding the registration process and also familiarize themselves with the evaluation criteria. The documents can also be downloaded from the public procurement information portal www.tenders.go.ke," the notice stated.
Who will be affected?
The exercise targets virtually the entire formal industrial wood value chain.
Businesses dealing in timber, plywood, treated transmission poles, pulpwood and fuel wood must submit fresh applications through the digital platform before they can participate in future tenders for forest plantation materials.
KFS said even investors who successfully obtained licences in 2024 must submit fresh details through the portal, while applicants who were not verified during the 2025 registration exercise have been instructed to log in using their previous KRA PIN and password, update their information where necessary and resubmit their applications.
Applications will first undergo online evaluation before shortlisted investors proceed to physical verification of the information provided.
Successful applicants will then be placed on an approved register, making them eligible to bid for forest plantation materials released by KFS during the two financial years.
The latest directive forms part of a wider government effort to formalise Kenya's timber industry following a series of regulatory changes introduced over the past two years.
More from Kenya
Earlier reforms introduced stricter movement permits for timber transport, mandatory documentation for imported forest products and proposals requiring grading certificates before timber can be exported. Authorities argue the measures are intended to improve traceability, curb illegal logging and enhance the quality of Kenyan timber in domestic and international markets.
KFS has also repeatedly defended its timber disposal process, insisting that forest plantation materials are allocated through open tendering limited to registered sawmillers, in accordance with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act.
"The Service wishes to clarify that disposal of all forest materials is undertaken through an open tendering process, limited to registered sawmillers," KFS said in an earlier clarification following public scrutiny over timber allocations.
The agency added that the procurement framework includes established grievance mechanisms for parties dissatisfied with the tendering process.
The registration exercise comes at a time when Kenya is seeking to expand its industrial wood sector as part of its broader green growth agenda.
According to the Kenya Industrial Wood Sector Vision 2050, forestry contributes an estimated 3.6 per cent of Kenya's Gross Domestic Product when broader forestry activities are considered. The strategy identifies commercial plantations, private woodlots and farm forestry as key drivers of future investment, employment and sustainable industrial development.
Demand for timber products continues to rise, fuelled by growth in the construction, furniture, paper and energy sectors.
Stronger regulation will need to be matched with increased investment in commercial plantations and sustainable forest management if Kenya is to bridge its timber supply gap while reducing pressure on natural forests.
For businesses, the immediate priority is ensuring compliance before the August deadline, as only registered investors will qualify to compete for future allocations of timber and other plantation materials from State forests.