The government of Kenya, led by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, is developing a national REDD+ programme. The success of this initiative will depend in part on Kenya’s ability to address political challenges in forest governance, including control of corruption and forest crimes and protection of the human rights of forest-dependent communities. This U4 Issue, based on primary research in Kenya, describes the main corruption challenges in the forestry sector and concerns regarding the integrity of a national REDD+ initiative. Strategies for political reform of REDD+ in Kenya include improving transparency and information sharing, creating accountability and grievance mechanisms, and deepening participation and democratic processes.