The reserve covers an area of 1,339 km2 (517 sq mi)[1] and is managed by Kenya Wildlife Service.

It was gazetted in 1976 as a dry season sanctuary for elephants in the former Kenyan Ijara, and Lamu districts and Somalia.

On December 28, 2010, the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs included the Boni National Reserve on the list of Kenyan areas American travelers should avoid because of terrorism and violent crime.

Harbouring densities of plant species that are among the highest in the world, the forest has been declared a biodiversity hotspot.

In early 2017, US troops were reportedly giving Kenya assistance in attempts to remove Al Shabaab from the reserve [3].