Tractors move in to clear section of Ngong Road Forest

The latest works have deepened concerns among environmental groups, who say the project reflects a broader pattern in which infrastructure expansion is steadily encroaching on Kenya's protected forests and green spaces.

They argue that while the government continues to champion its ambitious tree-planting campaign, the destruction of mature forests for roads, railways and other large-scale developments is undermining the very ecosystems the country says it is working to restore.

"We cannot plant billions of trees while destroying the forests we already have," Friends of Nairobi Forests and Green Spaces said.

From Ngong Road Forest and Nairobi National Park to Imenti Forest, City Park, Uhuru Park, Karura Forest, conservation groups warn that development projects are steadily shrinking and fragmenting some of Kenya's most ecologically significant landscapes, raising questions about whether the country's environmental commitments can coexist with current infrastructure plans.

Prof Karanja Njoroge, chairperson of the Community Relations and Outreach at the Board of Friends of Karura- Community Forest Association, argued that Kenya is pursuing two contradictory paths, that of championing an ambitious national tree-growing programme while simultaneously approving developments that consume indigenous forests and protected public spaces.

"When we destroy nature, we destroy ourselves," Njoroge said. "A nation that cuts down its forests while promising to grow them is walking toward a future it cannot sustain."

The conservationists argued that mature indigenous forests cannot simply be replaced by planting seedlings elsewhere.

Unlike newly planted trees, established forests regulate temperatures, recharge groundwater, protect rivers, store carbon, prevent flooding, improve air quality and support complex biodiversity that has evolved over decades or centuries.

The warning comes as conservationists identify a growing list of projects affecting protected ecosystems.

Among them are proposed developments inside Ngong Road Forest, ongoing disputes surrounding City Park, concerns over continued closure and development plans around Central Park, road expansion affecting mature trees along State House Road and Dennis Pritt Road, proposed projects inside Imenti Forest, and developments around Nairobi National Park.

Environmentalist insist they are not opposed to development itself. Their concern, they say, is where development is taking place.

"We are not saying no to development," Njoroge said. "We are saying let us think through our choices."

According to Job Mwangi, the Green Belt Movement, the pattern has become increasingly difficult to ignore.

"We can no longer keep quiet," he said.

He pointed to multiple forests and green spaces facing competing claims or development pressure.

Ngong Road Forest continues to lose land to new projects.

City Park remains embroiled in ownership disputes involving different public institutions and neighbouring interests.

Central Park has remained closed for years despite promises of reopening, while conservationists claim previous proposals included commercial development within the space.

Mwangi also raised concerns over plans linked to Nairobi National Park, including proposals associated with the BCIC that include a parking facility capable of accommodating about 1,300 vehicles within land associated with the park.

“Taken individually, each project may appear manageable,” he argued. “However, they reveal = a continuous pattern of encroachment into public forests and green spaces.”

The pressure facing Ngong Road Forest illustrates the scale of those concerns.

According to Ngong Road Forest (CFA), the forest was formally brought under community forest management in 2012.

Stretching from the Bomas of Kenya through the Southern Bypass and towards Dagoretti Corner and North Karen Road, it once covered approximately 3,224.5 hectares.

Today, only about 1,224.5 hectares remain.

“That means nearly two-thirds of the original forest has already been lost,” Mwangi said.

Community representatives attribute those losses to decades of infrastructure development and settlement expansion, including roads, residential settlements, sections occupied by Kibera, facilities belonging to the Agricultural Society of Kenya, Kenya Coral installations, motocross and autocross facilities, the Jockey Club, the Southern Bypass, police stations, schools and churches.

“These historical losses are the backdrop to a fresh wave of development proposals,” Mwangi said.

Of the 1,224 hectares that remain, roughly one-third of the forest, which is about seven per cent (79 hectares) is earmarked for or has already been lost to development.

This includes 56 hectares for Talanta Stadium together with 2.5 hectares for a contractor's construction site for the same road project, nine hectares for a proposed railway line, 10 hectares for the road linking Talanta Stadium to the Bomas International Convention Centre (BICC) and three hectares for a proposed luxury eco-lodge,

"We were initially told the area would remain accessible to both the public and the Community Forest Association.” Mwangi said, “Instead, a concrete wall was erected and today we cannot access that section of the forest."

For conservationists, fragmentation is as damaging as outright forest loss.

“Dividing a forest into smaller isolated sections disrupts wildlife movement, limits biodiversity, reduces ecological resilience and restricts public access.” Mwangi said, “Instead of five connected forest blocks, campaigners say Ngong Road Forest could soon consist of seven isolated sections.”

Construction sites that were originally leased temporarily have, in some cases, remained occupied for decades, raising fears that land allocated for short-term works may never be restored to the forest.

“Each new project chips away at an ecosystem that has already been substantially reduced.” Conservationists said.

They further added that some of the forest's recent conservation gains are also at risk.

According to the Ngong Road Forest the CFA, Two years ago, a partner funded the construction of an electric fence around the sanctuary block to improve security and reduce illegal activities. Since its completion, members say the fence has helped regenerate sections of the forest while making the area safer for visitors.

Now, they say, sections of that fence will have to be removed to accommodate the proposed road.

“Unfortunately now we are losing the fence to the road,” Mwangi said.

The CFAs also questioned the integrity of public participation processes surrounding some of the developments.

They described meetings where conservation groups arrived prepared to present their concerns, only to find hundreds of additional participants mobilised to drown out opposing views.

“For example, we go there, 135 of us but we find somebody has mobilized 1,200 other people,” environmentalists said, “You cannot call that public participation.”

The CFAs it has an existing Forest Management Agreement with the Kenya Forest Service and operate under an approved management framework.

Yet members argue that despite these structures, decisions affecting the forest continue to proceed without meaningful engagement with those directly involved in its protection.

Some developments have also altered facilities originally intended for forest conservation.

The association cited examples where ranger camps and scout posts were later converted into police facilities, arguing that land initially dedicated to conservation purposes has gradually shifted to other uses.

Similar concerns are emerging beyond Ngong Road Forest.

Sharon Sitienei, from Friends of Nairobi National Park (FoNNaP), explained that they support the upgrading of the Nairobi Animal Orphanage but oppose aspects of the proposed relocation plans linked to the project, arguing that critical questions remain unanswered.

“One of our principal concerns is the lack of clarity surrounding the actual size of land required for the project,” Sitienei said.

According to the group, acreage figures differ across project documents, while technical reports contain terms that are not adequately explained.

"The reported acreage has also shifted over time, with figures ranging from 64 acres to 76 acres, and most recently 89 acres."

“Some of the field visits we have conducted,” Sitienei said, “showed wildlife occupying the same open areas identified for development. Even if it is not forest, it is still habitat used by wildlife."

She further questioned the quality of public participation undertaken for the project.

“We attended what we believed would be the first in a series of consultations where concerns would be considered before final decisions were made.” She said, “Instead, their views were neither properly heard nor reflected in subsequent processes.”

Sitienei argued that better public participation would produce better environmental decisions, particularly where protected ecosystems are involved.

Another concern centres on plans for a parking facility capable of accommodating approximately 1,300 vehicles.

The organisation questions why such a large parking area is necessary within land currently used by wildlife, warning that incremental developments could gradually reduce the park's ecological integrity.

Nairobi National Park has already lost portions of land to previous infrastructure projects, including the Standard Gauge Railway and the Inland Container Depot.

While individual projects may account for only a small percentage of the park, conservationists warn that cumulative losses eventually become significant.

"What happens when every project takes just a small piece?" Sitienei asked. "Before long, we will no longer have the Nairobi National Park we know today."

The coalition argues that the same pattern is unfolding elsewhere.

In Imenti Forest, conservationists criticised proposals involving an airstrip, state lodge and golf course, saying public participation only occurred after trees had already been cut.

“Imenti remains one of Kenya's most important water towers, biodiversity hotspots and wildlife corridors,” Mwangi said, “supporting surrounding communities through water security, rainfall regulation, agriculture and livelihoods.”

Those ecological functions, they say, should have been central considerations before development plans advanced.

Akshay Vishwanath, Executive Director, JustAct raised objections to plans requiring the removal of mature trees along State House Road and Dennis Pritt Road.

“Many of the trees have stood for decades, providing shade, absorbing carbon dioxide, reducing urban temperatures and filtering pollutants,” He said.

According to him, replacing mature trees with young seedlings cannot immediately restore those ecological services.

Uhuru Park and Central Park remain another source of concern.

Although Uhuru Park eventually reopened after extensive rehabilitation, conservationists note that Central Park has remained closed for years, citing flooding, while earlier proposals reportedly included commercial developments within the area.

City Park continues to face unresolved ownership disputes, unclear boundaries and governance challenges that campaigners say threaten one of Nairobi's oldest remaining public green spaces.

Unlike many recreational spaces that charge entry fees, City Park remains freely accessible to families, making its preservation particularly important for urban residents.

Beyond individual sites, conservationists argue that Kenya's broader environmental indicators point to an increasingly fragile situation.

“The country continues to have relatively low standing forest cover compared with some of its East African neighbours,” Njoroge said, “while public discussion increasingly focuses on overall tree cover rather than indigenous forest cover.”

Tree cover may include isolated trees planted on farms or private property, whereas indigenous forests function as complete ecosystems supporting biodiversity, water catchments and climate regulation.

“Scientific evidence consistently shows that mature forests provide ecosystem services that newly planted trees cannot replace for many decades,” Vishwanath said.

As Nairobi experiences rising temperatures, worsening air pollution and more frequent flooding, environmental groups believe the continued loss of urban green spaces is contributing to those challenges.

Every hectare of indigenous forest lost, they argue, weakens rivers, increases urban heat and makes climate impacts more severe.

The conservationists are now demanding that all government agencies, public institutions, contractors and private developers immediately comply with court orders, halt activities that violate judicial directives and fulfil their constitutional obligation to protect public forests and ecologically sensitive areas.

Respect for the rule of law, they argue, is fundamental to environmental protection.

The campaigners accuse institutions mandated to safeguard Kenya's natural heritage of failing to discharge their responsibilities.

Among those singled out are the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife.

According to the coalition, these institutions were established to conserve forests, wildlife and protected areas, yet they continue to preside over consultations and approvals that facilitate developments within the very ecosystems they are legally required to protect.

"The Constitution guarantees every Kenyan the right to a clean and healthy environment," Mwangi emphasized. "It also places a duty on the State to protect ecologically sensitive areas for present and future generations."

Vishwanath questioned where environmental oversight has been when indigenous forests have been fragmented, national parks converted into construction sites and public green spaces steadily reduced.

"Silence in the face of environmental degradation is not neutrality," he said, “that institutional inaction amounts to a failure of public trust.”

They warned that every decision compromising a public forest, national park or urban green space weakens Kenya's credibility on climate action while undermining the sacrifices made by communities that continue protecting those ecosystems.

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