Is it legal to burn or sell charcoal?
Kenya Forest Service · sources read 3 Oct 2026
Making charcoal on your own land for your own use needs no licence, but making, transporting or trading charcoal commercially needs a Kenya Forest Service licence, and moving charcoal needs a KFS movement permit. Making or holding charcoal in a forest or on farmland without a licence or the owner's permit can bring a fine of up to KSh 50,000, up to 6 months in jail, or both.
- Deadline
- Appeal a licensing decision within 30 days of being told.
- Deadline
- Unless it says otherwise, a licence expires on 31 December of the year it was issued.
- Where
- Kenya Forest Service, through the forest conservation committee for your area
What you need
- Charcoal producer association registration certificate
- Landowner's written consent (Form 3)
- To move charcoal: movement permit plus certificate of origin or the seller's original receipt
Steps
- Join or form a charcoal producers' association and have it registered with KFS.
- Apply for a charcoal producer licence to the KFS forest conservation committee on Form 2 and pay the set fee.
- Before moving charcoal, get a KFS charcoal movement permit.
- If KFS refuses your licence, you can appeal to the National Environment Tribunal within 30 days.
Watch out
- Charcoal may never be made from endangered, threatened or protected tree species.
- A county trading permit for charcoal can only be issued once you show a KFS charcoal licence.
- The movement permit allows transport only between 6 am and 6 pm.
Who this covers
- Anyone producing or transporting charcoal for sale.
- This includes people making charcoal for sale on their own land.
- Wholesale and retail charcoal traders, who must keep records and buy only from licensed producers.
Official sources (2)
- Forest (Charcoal) Rules (L.N. 186 of 2009), Kenya Law revised text as at 31 December 2022 forestry.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- Forest Conservation and Management Act (Cap. 385, formerly No. 34 of 2016), Kenya Law consolidated text as at 16 June 2026 reddplus.forestry.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026