A section of Imenti forest at Nkunga. Residents, conservationists and politicians are protesting plans to excise up to 100 acres of forest land for construction of a State Lodge, airstrip and Golf Course.
On the outskirts of Meru town, Imenti forest stands as a green expanse under growing pressure its boundaries steadily reshaped over the years by an expanding appetite for development and a long history of encroachment.
Once more expansive, the forest has gradually given way to human activity, hosting institutions such as the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) Showground, the former Kenya Re Insurance Estate and Kenya Methodist University, among others.
Now, the future of Imenti Forest is once again under sharp scrutiny following a proposal to hive off up to 200 acres for the construction of a State lodge, an airstrip and a golf course, projects linked to President William Ruto’s pledge to establish a State lodge in Meru.
The forest, divided into Upper and Lower blocks covers about 32,000 acres and serves as a critical migratory corridor and breeding ground for elephants moving between northern Kenya and Mt Kenya.
A section of Imenti forest at Nkunga. Residents, conservationists and politicians are protesting plans to excise up to 100 acres of forest land for construction of a State Lodge, airstrip and Golf Course.
The Lower Imenti block which spans approximately 6,200 acres has borne the greatest impact of degradation, with nearly 5,000 acres already affected or taken over by invasive species. Local communities continue restoration efforts through the shamba system, in a bid to rehabilitate parts of the forest.
But a recent visit to the forest by Forestry Principal Secretary Gitonga Mugambi reportedly to identify a site for an airstrip has ignited a heated national debate involving residents, conservationists and political leaders.
Meru Governor Isaac Mutuma M’Ethingia has defended the proposed projects, arguing that the economic benefits outweigh environmental concerns.
“It is the people of Meru who planted the trees. The projects will be implemented and any trees cut down will be replaced. The State Lodge will be the second biggest in the country and will create employment for 500 residents,” he said.
On Madaraka Day, PS Mugambi dismissed criticism saying a State lodge in Meru would allow local elders to “have tea with the President” without difficulty.
However, the proposals have drawn strong opposition from environmental organisations including the Green Belt Movement, Greenpeace Africa and the Imenti Development Forum (IDF), all of which have vowed to challenge the plans in court.
The Green Belt Movement warned that forests are not idle land waiting for development projects.
“Forests are not vacant land waiting for powerful people to dream up luxury projects. Forests are living ecosystems. They are water catchments. They are biodiversity reservoirs. They are climate shields. They belong to present and future generations of Kenyans,” the organisation said.
It called for the immediate suspension of any process involving allocation or licensing of forest land for the proposed developments, demanding full disclosure of all plans relating to Imenti and Kambakia forests.
“These projects are not necessities. They are luxuries. They are symbols of privilege. They have no place in a protected public forest,” it added.
Greenpeace Africa also raised concerns over the excision of forest land for infrastructure projects, including a proposed Meru town bypass under the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project.
A section of Imenti forest at Nkunga. Residents, conservationists and politicians are protesting plans to excise up to 100 acres of forest land for construction of a State Lodge, airstrip and Golf Course.
“Imenti Forest is not a new crisis. It is the same crisis, in a new location, with the same officials and the same tired excuses. Every time development needs land, it always finds a forest. That pattern needs to end,” said Greenpeace Africa Communications Manager Sherie Gakii.
The Imenti Development Forum (IDF) has taken an even stronger stance, calling for the resignation of Meru Governor Isaac Mutuma, Senator Kathuri Murungi and North Imenti MP Rahim Dawood over their support for the projects.
IDF chairman Charles Mbogori warned that further encroachment would have far-reaching ecological and economic consequences.
“Imenti Forest is a primary water catchment. To now excise a further 100 acres from this already-stressed ecosystem is not development. It is the reckless acceleration of a slow-motion catastrophe the willful endangering of our livelihoods,” the forum stated.
The group argued that alternative sites exist for the proposed developments and questioned the need for a State lodge in Meru.
“We question the fundamental premise that a State Lodge is needed in Meru County, at any location, at all. Sagana is a short helicopter flight from Meru well within the operational range of any of the Presidential Fleet’s rotary-wing aircraft,” Mbogori said.
The lobby is also demanding public participation and a parliamentary inquiry into the proposed allocation of gazetted forest land for private developments such as a golf course.
Political leaders including Jubilee Party deputy leader Fred Matiang’i and PNU leader Peter Munya have also vowed to oppose the project, describing it as unnecessary.
The controversy adds to a long history of contested land use in Imenti Forest.
In 2015, Meru Golfers Limited and ASK were embroiled in a dispute over 70 acres of forest land in the Lower Imenti block where plans to develop a nine-hole golf course collapsed after public opposition.
Online petitions have since emerged with residents urging leaders to abandon forest excision plans.
The base of a Meru oak popularly known as King Muuru, located in Imenti forest, which is believed to be over 350 years old. The tree is at risk after an arson attack by unknown people.
“We demand that our leaders explore alternative locations for their development projects. There is alternative public land that can accommodate such structures without the ecological devastation that would ensue from destroying portions of the Imenti Forest,” reads one petition by Kenneth Mwenda.
President William Ruto first pledged to construct a State lodge in Meru to reduce the distance travelled by delegations to Sagana State Lodge or State House in Nairobi.
In September 2023, he told Meru leaders that government land had already been identified for the project.
By June 2024, North Imenti MP Rahim Dawood had requested that 20 acres of forest land be set aside for an airstrip near the proposed State lodge, saying a site had already been identified.
A member of the Lower Imenti Community Forest Association also confirmed that officials had earmarked a degraded section near Kithoka for the airstrip.
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