By David Ndolo
Karura Ward MCA, Fiu ni Fiu, has sharply criticized Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura’s recent remarks on the controversial nursery project inside Karura Forest, describing them as misleading and confusing to the public.
According to the MCA, the Tree Biotechnology Programme Trust (TBPT) nursery already exists within the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) headquarters. This, he emphasized, is an established facility and not the subject of current debate.
“The real concern,” Fiu ni Fiu explained, “is a separate proposed nursery located inside karura forest reserve about two kilometres from Tree Biotechnology ProgrammeTrust nursery. These are two completely different locations. Presenting the existing TBPT nursery at KFS headquarters as if it is the same project being questioned creates confusion and misleads the public.”
He stressed that Kenyans deserve clarity and transparency, especially when it comes to safeguarding Karura Forest one of Nairobi’s most treasured urban green spaces.
At the same time, the MCA took issue with Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Baraza’s statement that the government had approved the clearing of three acres of Karura Forest to plant five million seedlings.
“Waziri, you are out of order,” he declared. “We must remain faithful to our covenant contained in the Karura Forest Participatory Forest Management Plan (PFMP). In that spirit, I submit that the PFMP must be followed to the letter.”
By challenging both the government spokesperson and the environment minister, Fiu ni Fiu has over the years advanced sustainable conservation and management of Karura Forest, insisting that development must never come at the expense of Nairobi’s ecological heritage.
