DON'T DESTROY NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK, NGONG ROAD FORESTS OR NAIROBI RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONS
9.1.16
PRESS RELEASE
December 21st 2015
NAIROBI RESIDENTS AND THE CONSERVATION ALLIANCE
OF KENYA, OBJECT TO THE PROPOSED ROUTINGS OF THE SGR PHASE
2A THROUGH NAIROBI, AND PROPOSE AN ALTERNATIVE
Our objection to the SGR (Standard Gauge
Railway) Phase II is based on the following concerns:
· Unacceptable social impact
– the SGR will displace thousands of people from their homes,
including ancestral homes, cause loss of open spaces, affect air
quality, increase pollution, affect health negatively and reduce
recreational space.
· Irreparable ecological
damage – habitat degradation especially loss of rare
indigenous forests and wildlife, and reduce the rich biological
diversity of the city. This
contravenes the rights of citizens provided for under the
Constitution of Kenya.
· Immeasurable economic loss
– Loss of tourism, job losses and reduction of future options for
livelihoods and economic growth. As
our beloved country embarks on ambitious infrastructure
development projects, there is an urgent need to recognize and protect the non-monetary
values of our natural resources. As we develop, we must not fail
to secure what is protected by law.
Alternative route:
While we appreciate that Kenya needs the SGR, the proposed route
through Nairobi is unnecessarily disruptive and costly. Looping through Nairobi
National Park, the Ngong Road Forest, and residential areas does
not add any economic value to the railway or Kenya. We propose a
route that will balance social, environmental and economic
benefits. This would be from Athi River directly west to the Rift
Valley town of Mai Mahiu, thereby bypassing the city of Nairobi.
This will preserve Nairobi’s valuable protected areas, and
minimize social and environmental impacts whilst serving the
purposes of the SGR and the greater metropolitan Nairobi area of
tomorrow.
Irreparable
Damage to Kenya
Nairobi is one of the world’s greatest capital
cities boasting an oasis of nature and has the world’s greatest
diversity of birds in any capital city, and indeed many countries.
This ecological wealth should not be taken for granted. The park
and forests serve as the “lungs” of the capital, replenishing
atmospheric oxygen and soaking up pollutants, giving us clean
water, and supporting crop
pollinators which in turn have immeasurable health
benefits and bolster food security. The park also plays a
priceless role in nurturing the spiritual wellbeing of Nairobi’s
four million citizens, as well as the biodiversity and cultural heritage it preserves.
The benefits of Nairobi’s National Park and her
forests are increasingly important as Nairobi enters a dramatic
new phase of economic growth and urban expansion under Kenya’s
Vision 2030.
The SGR IIA is setting a dangerous precedent
Developments for the future cannot be driven by short term vision.
The Park and forests of Nairobi were set aside long before
independence to preserve the spectacular ecological values for the
people of Kenya and for posterity, by our predecessors. These
commitments have been honoured by our founders and past
presidents.
The SGR is a vital development for the future
of Kenya. However, its proposed routing through the city will
compromise commitments made by generations of leaders. The
precedent that will be set if the proposed route of SGR II is
adopted, will signal the tragic end of Kenya’s global leadership
in conservation and sustainable development. It will be a betrayal of our
future generations. Kenya aspires to become the world’s super
power for nature conservation and eco-tourism. This opportunity
must not be wasted by today’s short sighted planners and short
term appeal. Indeed development and conservation can, and must
work hand in hand for the benefit of this and future generations.
In the
wise words of our founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, the
first president of the Republic of Kenya, as displayed at
the entrance of Nairobi National Park:
“The
natural resources of this country – its wildlife which offers
such an attraction to visitors from all over the world, the
beautiful places in which these animals live, the mighty forests
which guard the water catchment areas so vital to the survival
of man and beast – are a priceless heritage for the future. The
government of Kenya, fully realising the value of its natural
resources pledges itself to conserve them for posterity with all
the means at its disposal.”
We
question whether the government of today, has explored all
options with all the means at its disposal.
In the same vein as the founding President, President Uhuru Kenyatta at the just
concluded climate change summit in Paris, reiterated his commitment to achieving and
maintaining tree cover of at least 10% of the country’s total
land area, and announced that we currently stand at only 7.2%.
The proposed route into Nairobi National Park cuts through the
only forest in the Park and Ngong Road Forests. This will set
Kenya back against this goal.
The residents associations of Nairobi, and the
Conservation Alliance of Kenya are committed to development in
Kenya that is economically, ecologically and socially
sustainable.
As Key stakeholders we demand the following:
1. The Kenya Railways
must consider alternative routes for SGR II that minimize
impacts on Nairobi’s protected areas and negative social and
economic impacts.
2. The Kenya Railways
must adhere to all legal requirements under the Constitution,
Environmental and Wildlife legislation (EMCA and WCMA), as well
as international agreements. This includes genuine engagement
and participation of Kenyan experts in this development.
3. The Government of
Kenya should re-commit to the words of our founding father, that
our natural resources “are a priceless heritage for
the future” and that
“The government of Kenya, fully realising the value of its
natural resources pledges itself to conserve them for posterity
with all the means at its disposal.” National Parks and
protected areas cannot therefore be considered the cheaper
easier alternative for new development projects.
Let us work together for a better Kenya
This statement is penned by the Conservation
Alliance of Kenya (CAK), a coalition of over 100 nationally and
internationally recognised conservation organizations and experts,
The Karen Langata Development Association, Miotoni and Karen End
Committee, The Ngong Road Forest Association, and the Forest Edge
Road Estate Residents Association.
For more information contact:
Name
Steve Itela, Conservation Alliance of Kenya (CAK),: Chairman
Mordecai Ogada,
Chair, CAK Conservation and Development thematic Group
Phone:
+254-722824038, +254-722823998