Fresh petition filed against controversial Ksh.4.4B Ndunyu Njeru-Ihithe road

The Conservation Alliance of Kenya (CAK) has lodged an appeal with the National Environment Tribunal seeking to halt the construction of the Ndunyu Njeru-Ihithe highway that would cut through the Aberdares ecosystem.

CAK wants the tribunal to compel the government of Kenya to consider an alternative route to construct a road rather than proceeding with the proposed highway. 

The alliance cited the severe environmental impact the planned highway will cause, seeking cancellation of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) licence that approved construction of the Ksh.4.4 billion road.

“We are making a call to the government to cancel the licence that approved the construction of the road...We have drawn to the attention of the government the legitimate and severe environmental impacts of the proposed road,” Green Belt Movement Board Chair Nyaguthii Chege said.

The controversial Ihithe-Ndunyu Njeru road is set to connect Nyandarua and Nyeri counties.

NEMA in January wrote to theKenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) seeking approval forthe road whose construction had been halted by a court after conservationists moved to court in 2009.

NEMA Director General Mamo Boru approved the construction with a caveat that the width of the road be reviewed downwards from 40 to 25 meters, specifically in areas traversing the Aberdares forest reserve and national park.

The road comprises a 52-kilometre stretch traversing Ihithe-Ndunyu Njeru main section, a 12-kilometer Njengu-Treetops gate-Amboni stretch, a 3.6-kilometre Ihithe-Kiamutiga-Mukarara, a 2km ark gate access road and a 21-kilometer Munyaka-Koinange-Heni Mwedandu Njoma-Weru stretch.

The Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and NEMA had initially withheld approval for the project, citing that the decision was based on the potential disruption of the Aberdare ecosystem.

Conservationists such as Rhino Ark and others who filed the suit opposing the intended construction of the road termed it an environmental crisis.

The complainants expressed concern that the construction of the road would interfere with water catchment areas for the Sasumua and Ndakaini dams which supply most of the water for Nairobi County.

Further, the Aberdares forest plays host to close to 4,000 elephants. Its disruption is likely to cause more human-wildlife conflict already prevalent in parts of Nyandarua.

The moorlands also provide water sources for rivers Athi and Ewaso Nyiro and prevent water from running downstream causing floods.