Airstrip project inside Mt Kenya forest sparks global debate

Proposed projects in Imenti Forest have triggered a legal and environmental dispute. [Courtesy]

At Kithoka on the edge of Upper Imenti Forest, more than 20 armed officers from the Kenya Forest Service stood guard, controlling entry into the dense montane ecosystem that forms part of the Mt Kenya water tower. The unusually heavy presence underscored growing tension around a proposed airstrip project that conservationists say could alter one of Kenya’s most sensitive ecological zones.

The officers’ deployment comes amid rising concern over reported development activities inside Upper Imenti Forest Reserve in Meru County, where conservation stakeholders warn that infrastructure expansion could disrupt wildlife corridors, water catchment functions and long-term ecosystem stability.