Kenya: The Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) has invited Kenyans to provide written submissions concerning its plan to carve out part of Nairobi National Park for construction of 28.5 kilometres Nairobi Southern by-pass road.
In a public notice appearing in local dailies yesterday, the Authority said it will require to annex some 89 acres of Nairobi National Park, along a distance of 4km stretching from Ole Sereni Hotel to Carnivore restaurant.
“KeNHA in consultation with Kenya Wildlife Service has identified a parcel of land adjacent to the Nairobi National Park on the Ole Kasasi adjudication section along the Mbagathi valley for purchase, acquisition and subsequent annexing to the Nairobi National Park in exchange of the land utilised by the By-pass road,” said Eng Linus Tonui, Acting Director General, KeNHA.
KeNHA is purchasing this parcel to mitigate the impact of wildlife habitat loss to be caused by the by-pass road. The expected variation of the park boundaries shall be to increase the park area by annexing additional land for conservation as envisaged under Section 38 of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013.
stiff opposition
The Authority said it has already conducted environmental impact assessment that has shown that the proposed national park land exchange will positively enhance wildlife conservation in Nairobi National Park.
The public is expected to examine details of the proposal and provide written submissions to the Director-KeNHA on or before June 30, 2015.
A one-day public consultation workshop has been organised on July 3, 2015.
The entire Southern by-pass road project is funded to the tune of Sh17 billion of which 85 per cent is a loan from Exim Bank of China and 15 per cent from Kenya Government.
Although this road project was launched by former President Mwai Kibaki in 2012, it has faced stiff opposition from environmentalists who now appear to have resolved their disputes with the State.
The Southern by-pass starts at Ole Sereni Hotel and ends at Gitaru area –junction of Waiyaki way and road to Kikuyu town.
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