NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 25 – Friends of Karura Forest (FKF) have welcomed a High Court order halting construction at Rangers Village inside Karura Forest, calling it a significant step forward in protecting the forest.
The legal action, filed jointly by FKF and the Green Belt Movement, followed government plans to house National Youth Service (NYS) personnel in container barracks at Rangers Village.
The site had already experienced tree clearance and heavy machinery operations and was cordoned off from the public and media.
During a court-led site visit attended by FKF and Kenya Forest Service (KFS) representatives, the FKF highlighted the ongoing construction and forest disturbance.
Following the visit, the court ordered a halt to all construction and development pending further directions.
While the government informed FKF and KFS that the NYS housing plans had been withdrawn, no official written communication was provided.
Over the weekend, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi reaffirmed, “Nobody is going to touch Karura Forest.”
According to the Karura Forest Management Plan, rangers currently residing in Rangers Village are to be relocated to the Kenya Forest Service Headquarters, with the land restored to indigenous forest.
“We warmly welcome the court order, which is a significant step forward. We hope this decision will be made permanent at the next hearing,” said Prof. Karanja Njoroge, FKF Board member. “Our focus remains on co-managing the forest and planting thousands of indigenous trees during the current rains.”