The Forestry and Land Restoration Action for Kenya’s NDC (FLaRAK) Project addresses barriers to sustainable tree growing and ongoing land and ecosystem degradation by promoting a comprehensive four-part strategy. The initiative focuses on strengthening forest governance, increasing the availability and quality of certified seedlings, scaling up effective technologies for tree growing, and engaging the public in restoration efforts. By improving governance structures and building the capacity of national and county institutions, the project aims to advance sustainable forest management and enhance forest cover, contributing to greater emissions reductions. Key ecosystems such as the Kaptagat Forest, Kakamega Forest, and the Lake Magadi Ecosystem have been selected as pilot sites for intensive restoration and protection, serving as model interventions that support Kenya’s green recovery, NDC goals, and long-term climate resilience.

The Kenya REDD+ FCPF Readiness Project supports national and county institutions to strengthen forest governance, address drivers of deforestation, and build the policy and institutional foundations for REDD+ implementation; at the county level, it produces outputs such as the Elgeyo Marakwet County Forest Management and Tree Growing Policy.

The requester alleges that several UNDP supported initiatives implemented within the Kaptagat Forest Ecosystem, including the FLaRAK project and the FCPF REDD+ Readiness Grant, were carried out without the involvement or consent of the Keiyo Indigenous Community, despite the community residing adjacent to impacted ecosystems. According to the complaint, these projects proceeded on land the community identifies as ancestral territory, including burial sites, and have continued despite the absence of meaningful participation or free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), or disclosure of required environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs). The requester further asserts that the fencing of forest blocks, which they describe as forcibly imposed by authorities, restricts long standing forest use rights and has resulted in intimidation, and loss of livelihoods. They claim that the lack of transparency around carbon credit benefit sharing, the erosion of cultural practices, and the exclusion of the Keiyo community from project governance amount to violations of UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards and raise concerns about human rights impacts.