Greenpeace Africa on Tuesday joined more than 60,000 Kenyans in petitioning the government to immediately stop the destruction and excision of protected forests, warning that development projects and logging are threatening the country’s water towers and natural ecosystems.
In an open letter presented to Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Dr Deborah Barasa at the Ministry’s headquarters in Nairobi, the petitioners called for an end to destructive projects in Imenti Forest, Nairobi National Park, Ngong Road Forest, Karura Forest and Suam Forest.
They also demanded renewed protection of the Mau Forest Complex and greater transparency in the management of public forests.
The petitioners said forests regulate rainfall, support rivers and provide livelihoods for millions of Kenyans, particularly communities living around forest ecosystems.
They raised concerns over Imenti Forest, where they said the Principal Secretary for Forestry issued concurrence in May for the excision of 2.75 hectares amid reported plans for an airstrip, golf course and State Lodge. They further claimed that construction work had continued at the proposed airstrip site despite a court order blocking the project.
In Nairobi National Park, the groups cited court proceedings over the relocation of the Nairobi Animal Orphanage and construction of a 1,300-vehicle parking facility. They said tree felling and clearing had taken place in an area designated as a Low Use Zone under the park’s management plan.
The petitioners said 4,642 Kenyans had gone to court to protect the park and accused authorities of preventing them from participating in a court-ordered site inspection in July.
The groups also raised concerns over Ngong Road Forest, saying its size had declined from about 2,850 hectares when it was gazetted in 1932 to approximately 1,224 hectares.
They said heavy machinery entered the forest in July to clear a road linking Talanta Stadium to Bomas, while an eco-lodge was being developed in the Sanctuary Block. They welcomed conservatory orders issued by the Environment and Land Court halting the projects following a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya, Green Belt Movement and JustAct.
On Karura Forest, the groups said trees were cleared around Rangers Village in February to accommodate National Youth Service personnel without consultation with Friends of Karura, the forest’s legal co-manager.
They said the government later agreed to halt the project following discussions with the Environment Ministry and urged Dr Barasa to publicly confirm the commitment and ensure the cleared area is restored with indigenous trees.
The petitioners also called for greater transparency over a planned 52-kilometre road through the Aberdare National Park and Forest, saying the government should disclose how environmental safeguards approved by the High Court will be enforced and monitored.
They further called for the reinstatement of the logging ban in the Mau Forest Complex, citing concerns over the lifting of the ban announced by President William Ruto in October 2025.
In Trans Nzoia, they opposed the allocation of 50 acres of Suam Forest for a proposed border town and housing project linked to the one-stop border post with Uganda, warning that it could undermine years of conservation and reforestation work.
The groups also criticised the government’s focus on the 15 billion trees programme, saying tree planting must be accompanied by stronger protection of existing natural forests.
“Growing tree cover while shrinking our forest cover is a contradiction,” the petitioners said, arguing that newly planted trees cannot replace mature indigenous forests that have taken centuries to develop.
They want the government to use the October 10 Mazingira Day celebrations to announce a comprehensive forest protection plan and publicly report on natural forest loss, approved forest excisions and easements, action against illegal logging and land grabbing, and the survival rate of trees planted under restoration programmes.
The petitioners also raised concerns over the Forest Conservation and Management (Amendment) Act, 2026, which took effect on June 16. They said provisions allowing the Kenya Forest Service to grant easements and wayleaves for roads and utilities across gazetted public forests could expose forests to further development pressure.
They demanded that the government halt destructive projects in protected forests, respect court orders, strengthen community participation in forest governance and publicly disclose every excision, easement and licence affecting public forests.
The groups want Dr Barasa to present the Ministry’s forest protection plan during the October 10 Mazingira Day celebrations and provide a written response to their demands within 30 days.
Other petitioners included the Green Belt Movement, JustAct, Friends of Nairobi National Park, environmentalists and other civil society organisations.
