Conservationists fault Gov't over contradictory push to plant 15 billion trees while 'clearing' forests

A coalition of environmental organisations has accused the government of undermining its ambitious plan to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 through the continued destruction of existing forests and public green spaces for infrastructure and commercial developments.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the groups said Kenya cannot claim to be restoring forests while simultaneously allowing mature indigenous ecosystems to be fragmented, arguing that such habitats cannot simply be replaced by planting seedlings elsewhere.

"We cannot plant billions of trees while destroying the forests we already have," said the organisations – under the umbrella of Friends of Nairobi’s Forests and Green Spaces - warning that the contradiction threatens the country's climate commitments and biodiversity conservation efforts.

The organisations accused the government of sacrificing critical environmental assets despite Kenya's commitments under international climate agreements, including the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative and the Bonn Challenge.

The coalition singled out Ngong Road Forest as one of Nairobi's most threatened indigenous forests, citing multiple ongoing and proposed developments within the protected area.

According to the lobby groups, the projects include a proposed luxury tented camp, the Riruta-Ngong Town Meter Gauge Railway line, a road linking Talanta Stadium to the Bomas International Conference Centre, a contractor's construction camp and the proposed Talanta Sports City.

The groups noted that although the government had previously committed to halting the luxury tented camp project, construction activities were still ongoing.

"Individually, each of these developments fragments the forest ecosystem; collectively, they pose a serious threat to one of Nairobi's most important ecological assets," the statement read.

The conservationists also raised concern over what they termed as the gradual reduction of Nairobi National Park through repeated infrastructure developments.

They opposed plans to construct a new Nairobi Animal Orphanage and a 1,300-vehicle parking facility to serve the neighbouring Bomas of Kenya International Conference Centre.

"Nairobi National Park is dying not in one fell swoop, but rather through a thousand small cuts," they stated.

They also opposed the ongoing construction of an airstrip, State Lodge and golf course within Upper Imenti Forest, warning that the developments threaten one of Kenya's key water towers and biodiversity hotspots.

The coalition further criticised plans to expand State House Road, saying the project would result in the felling of mature trees along State House Road and Dennis Pritt Road.

"Development and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive. Engineering solutions exist that preserve mature trees while improving transport infrastructure," they noted.

The groups went ahead to reject proposals to excise part of Uhuru Park for the expansion of Uhuru Highway, saying the park remains a national monument and symbol of Kenya's democratic struggle.

Referencing the late environmentalist Prof. Wangari Maathai's campaign to protect the park, they warned that reducing its size would dishonour her legacy.

On City Park, the organisations cited unresolved land ownership disputes, weak governance and encroachment as key threats, calling for a comprehensive rehabilitation and management plan.

The conservationists also expressed concern over what they described as the continued disregard of court orders halting developments in protected forests.

"We therefore demand that all government agencies, public institutions, private developers and contractors immediately comply with all court orders, cease any activities that contravene judicial directives and uphold their constitutional obligation to protect public forests," read the statement.

The coalition faulted the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), accusing them of failing to safeguard Kenya's forests and protected areas.

"The government cannot ask citizens to plant 15 billion trees while the very institutions mandated to protect existing forests and protected areas appear unable or unwilling to stop their destruction," they said.

The groups called on the government to halt all activities resulting in the destruction or excision of public forests and green spaces unless there is transparent public participation, comprehensive environmental impact assessments and proof that no environmentally viable alternatives exist.

They also urged Parliament to strengthen legal protections for forests and green spaces, while calling on development partners and the international community to closely monitor Kenya's progress towards its climate and biodiversity commitments.

"History will judge us not by how many seedlings we planted, but by whether we had the wisdom to protect the forests we inherited," they added.