Participants take part in the Run for Oloolua at Oloolua Forest, Kajiado County, on Saturday, April 25, 2026, in a bid to raise Sh70 million to fence the 680-hectare woodland against encroachment.
Land grabbers are eating into one of Nairobi's last urban forests, and officials say a community fun run may be its best chance of survival.
Oloolua Forest has lost ground to encroachment, illegal dumping and the Standard Gauge Railway's footprint through its sections, leaving conservationists warning the 680-hectare woodland faces irreversible damage without urgent intervention.
The response is a Sh70 million fence around the forest's 25-kilometre perimeter, and a run to raise the money to build it.
The Run for Oloolua drew four principal secretaries, including National Treasury's Chris Kiptoo, Festus Ng'eno (Environment and Climate Change), Abraham Sing'Oei (Foreign Affairs) and Patrick Mariru (Defence), alongside members of the public on Saturday, April 25.
"The Run for Oloolua to raise the money is part of our solution to protect every kilometre that remains unprotected for our next generation," said Kimotho.
Kiptoo flagged off 10,000 tree seedlings for degraded sections of the forest, which sustains water and livelihoods for more than four million Nairobi residents.
The run was the brainchild of Irrigation PS Ephantus Kimotho, who personally drove the initiative to mobilise resources for the forest's protection.
Nairobi region forest conservator Joyce Nthuku said physical barriers alone would not save the forest.
"By securing the borders, the ministry aims to facilitate the natural regeneration of the ecosystem, locking out pollutants and unauthorised actors while inviting the public to engage with the forest as active stewards of their own natural heritage," said Nthuku.
