Future of Karura hangs in the balance as development plans threaten the remaining urban green space

The future of Nairobi's cherished Karura forest hangs in the balance as development plans threaten one of Kenya's last remaining urban green spaces. The green belt movement, co-founded by Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, has filed a petition in the environment and land court seeking to halt projects that would excise 51.64 acres of the forest for the construction of a dual carriageway along Kiambu road and an additional 2.076 acres for a private recreational facility. The Green Belt movement asserts that these moves violate constitutional provisions and environmental laws, risking irreversible damage to the forest's biodiversity and its vital role as a carbon sink and water conservation area.