Category:Karima

This community is situated on Eastern Nyandarua (Aberdare forest) in the central highlands of Kenya. The community occupies a land surface area of 21 Km2 and its total human population is 19,424. The community is predominantly agricultural and grows food crops and keeps livestock. The community lives adjacent to Karima forest covering an area of 270 acres. The forest is owned by four indigenous clans. The forest contains two shrines occupying a total area of 75 acres; the shrines have been gazetted by the National Museums of Kenya. This small portion contains indigenous trees and is still intact.

The biggest portion of the forest is under plantation of exotic tree species replanted in 1952 after the colonial government cut the indigenous trees, and is managed in trust by the local Town Council. The council has leased out the land to a local tea factory for tree felling for purposes of roasting tea leaves. However, no direct benefits trickle down to the community in this arrangement. The community is in the process of registering a forest association which, under the Kenyan laws (Forests Act, 2005) with the permission of the Kenya Forests Service, can co-manage the forest with the communities.