Karura Forest was declared protected land in 1901. It spans 1,063 hectares and alongside Ngong Forest remains one of Nairobi's key water towers. It supports biodiversity and helps convert carbon dioxide into oxygen for us all to breathe. It is easily, one of the city's favourite spaces to walk and play.
For at least a decade, Karura has been known for its safety, serenity and partnership between KFS and FKF. To the outsider, it is still unclear why now, KFS has disrupted the 20-year agreement with FKF so abruptly.
Is it linked to the court ruling two weeks before that blocked the KFS from approving 51 acres of Karura Forest for the Sh38 billion Kiambu road expansion project due to lack of public participation and an environmental impact licence? Or is it connected to commercial interests who have sought several times to encroach on the forest's beauty for private profit?
As the nation awaits the September 22 court hearing filed by the Friends of Karura Forest, public opinion is clear. Gate sales have dipped in protest.
Several tour operators and residents' associations including Parklands, Gigiri Road, Hill View, Kunde Road, Kitisuru, Lakeview Estate, Mitini Estate, New Muthaiga, Peponi Road, the Rosslyn association, and Spring Valley have called for the forest to be restored to FKF.
With 800 UN staff and their families set to relocate to Gigiri, the international community remains oddly silent. Attacking one of Nairobi's key attractions now raises the question.
Is the state safeguarding public space or allowing others to chase profit from the expected boom? The silence from the Presidency and Environment CS is also deafening. Will they wait until this becomes another mass grievance and international scandal before acting?
A decade ago, I learned about "grabbiosis", the disease of greed enabled by the silence of the powerful. Karura Forest isn't about profit or politics, it belongs to the people.
Once again, like Prof Maathai, we are called to #BeAHummingBird, act and protect it for future generations. Will you?