Nairobi-Green spaces

A happy and prosperous 2025 to BD readers. Let’s rev it by looking at the invaluable green spaces around Nairobi. I’ve been wondering if they’re safe enough. There are ominous signs. The key spaces include Ngong Forest, Karura Forest, Nairobi National Park, Uhuru and Central Parks. Each has had some story. Construction of the Special Gauge Railway through the Nairobi National Park threatened to take up some of its land. But thanks to innovative designs, the track was raised and loss of land averted. Recently, Nairobi County issued notice of intent to lease Uhuru and Central Parks through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. One hopes that this won’t adversely expose these spaces to mercantile land speculators.

Ngong Forest was in the news lately. Approval had been given for the use of some of its land as a restaurant and golf course. This, reportedly, has since been cancelled by Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale. On the other hand, Karura forest is set to lose part of its land to the expansion of the busy Kiambu Road. Human settlements, business and infrastructure projects remain potent threats to Nairobi City’s green spaces.

Previous experience

Previous experience with Ngong and Karura forests serve strong lessons. In the ‘90s, pressure for land allocation in each was high. Politically correct persons used their proximity to the presidency to get some parts allocated. Survey records, usually simulated theoretically, would be processed and used to support leases for such persons. In some cases, such leases were offered as collateral for bank loans, which, of course, weren’t meant to be repaid. In the case of Karura forest, driving along Kiambu Road was hilarious. Names of senior politicians who owned parcels of land along the road would be dropped one after another, yet, forest trees still stood thereon. How ironical that leaders entrusted as custodians to the resource had turned to pose the greatest threat.

It took the concerted efforts of bold actors to stop the trend. The media, late Prof Wangari Maathai, professional associations such as the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya and some civil society organisations pushed back pretty hard, and managed to stop the invasions. But by then, several people held leases to parts of these forests. One hopes that the Kenya Forest Service, the National Land Commission and the Lands Ministry have since identified and cancelled such leases through due process. Though such leaseholders held consequential political and executive clout, the public officials responsible should take refuge in our constitution and laws which bar privatization of public land, and deal befittingly.

Pressure and high cost of land

Nairobi has been expanding fast. Consequently, the demand for land remains high, and its cost a premium. This fuels an appetite to grab green spaces. This will continue. However, green spaces are a boon to posterity. They enhance city aesthetics and are good carbon sinks for the surroundings. State and non-state actors must therefore remain vigilant to avert the possibility of a fresh grabbing frenzy of these lands.

Dated 2nd January, 2025