Karura Forest
Encyclopedia
Karura Forest is an urban forest
in Nairobi
, the capital of Kenya
. The forest was gazetted in 1932 and is managed by the Kenya Forest Service .
Due to its proximity to a growing city, there have been plans to reduce the forest in favour of housing and other development. However, these plans have been controversial in conservation viewpoint. In the late 90's there were housing projects that would had excised portions of the forest. Conservationists, led by Wangari Maathai
, the leader of Green Belt Movement
who later became a Nobel Peace Prize
Laureate, carried out a much publicised campaign for saving the forest. Karura Forest became also a symbol of controversial land grabbing
s in Kenya .
is much smaller .
Karura Forest is located north of central Nairobi and is bordered by the suburbs of Muthaiga, Gigiri, Runda, Ridgeways, Mathare North
, Highridge
and Spring Valley
. Western part of the forest is also known as Sigiria Forest .
The area north of central Nairobi forms a drainage basin
and was once heavily forested, but exists today only as patches like Karura Forest and City Park
. The forest is cut by Thigirie, Getathuru, Rui Ruaka and Karura Rivers, all tributaries of Nairobi River
.
Features in the forest include a waterfall, bamboo
forest, marshland, Mau Mau caves and an old church .
The United Nations Office at Nairobi
and UNEP headquarters are located adjacent to the forest . The Karura Forest Product Research Centre is also located there .
species, bush baby, bushbuck
, bush pig, porcupine
, duiker
, genet
, dik dik
, African civet
and epauletted bat .
Plant species typical to the forest include Olea europaea (var. africana), Croton megalocarpus, Warburgia ugandensis
, Brachyleana huillensis and Uvaridendron anisatum .
in 1989 . Between 1994 and 1998 a total of 564.14 hectares of the forest were secretly allocated to 64 different companies for housing projects . Around 1995 there were plans to build a housing estate in the forest, but opposition by local residents led to temporary shelving of the plans .
The projects revitalised again in September 1998, when the Forest Department was issued a quit notice by private developers. The clearing of the forest started igniting fierce protests by environmentalists and others concerned. On October 7, 1998 the construction site was invaded by demonstrators, including 12 opposition MP's. The protest turned violent and bulldozers and other machinery used to clear the forest was destroyed worth more than 80 million Ksh (2$ US million) .
Minister for Lands and Settlements Noah Katana Ngala released a list of companies who had been allocated land in Karura Forest in November 1998. However, the records of those companies were not found at Registrar General's office, making it difficult to trace the individuals behind these companies .
On January 8, 1999 when a group of women led by Wangari Maathai
were holding a demonstration by planting trees near the forest, a large group of security guards attacked them. Several of them were injured, including Maathai who was taken to Nairobi Hospital
. The police was reluctant to investigate the incident. However, the Attorney-General Amos Wako
apologised Maathai and promised an inquiry on the incident .
The Time Magazine, in support of Maathai, named her a Hero of the Week in 1998 . Klaus Töpfer
, the executive director of UNEP, warned that the organization may move its headquarters out of Kenya if the forest faces destruction . The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
also condemned the attack on Maathai . Architectural Association of Kenya
asked in November 1998 Kenyan architects not to be involved with any design that would threat the forest
Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi
criticised the protesters and asked the Church not to involve itself with the saga . Minister for Natural Resources Francis Lotodo defended the projects in January 1999 stating that Nairobi as a growing city needed space for development . Professor R. A. Obudho of University of Nairobi
, who specialises in urbanisation, also supported the projects
University of Nairobi
students held several demonstrations for preservation the forest. On January 20, 1999 several students were injured when they clashed with police. The University if Nairobi was closed temporarily following the protests, and all students were ordered to leave the campus . Opposition MP's James Orengo
(Ford-Kenya), David Mwenje (DP) and Njehu Gatabaki (SDP) were charged in court for attending student protests .
Eventually housing plans were taken down in lack of public support, but land allocations still stood in place .
In 2003 the NARC government led by Mwai Kibaki
replaced the long-standing Moi-led KANU
-government. In 2003 the Minister of Environment Newton Kulundu
denied the American investor Raymond Chisholm a permit to construct a hotel in the forest . Learning that the new government would revoke dubious KANU-era land allocations, developers started to relinquish their properties in the forest
The new forest act in 2005 made it more difficult to degazette forests in Kenya, thus protecting Karura Forest as well
There was a project by Kenya Forest Service, UNEP and Red Cross Kenya in 2008 to cut down eucalyptus
and blue gum trees in parts of the forest and plant indigenous species in their place. Green Belt Movement was doubtful with the project, fearing that logging of the forest could actually lead to private developers invading the forest
In 2009 it was reported that part of the forest had been allocate to the National Environmental Management Authority
(NEMA). This plan was also opposed by Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement
, who stated that that NEMA should be protecting, not destructing the forest .
is being built around the forest for security reasons .
The Karura Forest Environmental Education Trust (K-FEET) was formed in 2010, and launched by the minister of Forestry Noah Wekesa
. It will manage an environmental education centre located in Karura Forest
The Nairobi northern bypass road, under construction since 2009, will pass through a wetland which is said to feed Karura Forest, thus posing a threat to the forest .
There is a camping site in the forest .
Urban forest
An urban forest is a forest or a collection of trees that grow within a city, town or a suburb. In a wider sense it may include any kind of woody plant vegetation growing in and around human settlements. In a narrower sense it describes areas whose ecosystems are inherited from wilderness...
in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, the capital of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. The forest was gazetted in 1932 and is managed by the Kenya Forest Service .
Due to its proximity to a growing city, there have been plans to reduce the forest in favour of housing and other development. However, these plans have been controversial in conservation viewpoint. In the late 90's there were housing projects that would had excised portions of the forest. Conservationists, led by Wangari Maathai
Wangari Maathai
Wangari Muta Mary Jo Maathai was a Kenyan environmental and political activist. She was educated in the United States at Mount St. Scholastica and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as the University of Nairobi in Kenya...
, the leader of Green Belt Movement
Green Belt Movement
The Green Belt Movement is an indigenous grassroots non-governmental organization based in Nairobi, Kenya that takes a holistic approach to development by focusing on environmental conservation, community development and capacity building...
who later became a Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
Laureate, carried out a much publicised campaign for saving the forest. Karura Forest became also a symbol of controversial land grabbing
Land grabbing
Land grabbing is the contentious issue of large-scale land acquisitions; the buying or leasing of large pieces of land in developing countries, by domestic and transnational companies, governments, and individuals. While used broadly throughout history, land grabbing as used today primarily refers...
s in Kenya .
Geography
Karura Forest has an area of 1 063.0 ha, making it largest of three main gazetted forest in Nairobi. The others are Ngong Forest and Ololua Forest. The centrally located Nairobi ArboretumNairobi Arboretum
Nairobi Arboretum is located along state house road in the area of Kilimani, Nairobi Kenya. It was founded in 1907 by Mr. Batiscombe in a bid to try out new forestry trees. It was later gazzetted as a national reserve in 1932 by the government and issuance of a title deed was later conducted by...
is much smaller .
Karura Forest is located north of central Nairobi and is bordered by the suburbs of Muthaiga, Gigiri, Runda, Ridgeways, Mathare North
Mathare
Mathare is a collection of slums in Nairobi, Kenya with a population of approximately 500,000 people; the population of Mathare Valley alone, the oldest of the slums that make up Mathare, is 180,000 people...
, Highridge
Highridge
Highridge is a residential estate in Nairobi, located in northern parts of the larger Parklands estate. Administratively, Highridge is a subdivision of the Westlands division of Nairobi....
and Spring Valley
Spring Valley
-Places:In the United States of America:*Spring Valley, Arizona*Spring Valley, San Diego County, California*Spring Valley, Colusa County, California*Spring Valley, El Dorado County, California*Spring Valley, Lake County, California...
. Western part of the forest is also known as Sigiria Forest .
The area north of central Nairobi forms a drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
and was once heavily forested, but exists today only as patches like Karura Forest and City Park
City Park
City Park can refer to:Australia*Launceston City ParkCanada* City Park, Saskatoon, a neighbourhoodHungary* City Park Kenya* City Park, NairobiLuxembourg* City Park , a park in central Luxembourg CityUnited Kingdom...
. The forest is cut by Thigirie, Getathuru, Rui Ruaka and Karura Rivers, all tributaries of Nairobi River
Nairobi River
Nairobi River is a river flowing through the Kenyan capital Nairobi. It is the main river of the Nairobi river basin, a complex of several parallel streams flowing eastwards. All of the Nairobi basin rivers join east of Nairobi and meet the Athi River, eventually flowing to the Indian ocean. These...
.
Features in the forest include a waterfall, bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
forest, marshland, Mau Mau caves and an old church .
The United Nations Office at Nairobi
United Nations Office at Nairobi
The United Nations Office at Nairobi is one of the four major UN office sites where several different UN agencies have a joint presence. The office complex is located in Nairobi, Kenya...
and UNEP headquarters are located adjacent to the forest . The Karura Forest Product Research Centre is also located there .
Ecology
Wildlife in the forest include MonkeyMonkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
species, bush baby, bushbuck
Bushbuck
The bushbuck is the most widespread antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is found in rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaics and bush savannaforest and woodland. Recently, genetic studies have shown that the bushbuck, is in fact a complex of two geographically and phenotypically...
, bush pig, porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
, duiker
Duiker
A duiker is any of about 21 small to medium-sized antelope species from the subfamily Cephalophinae native to Sub-Saharan Africa.Duikers are shy and elusive creatures with a fondness for dense cover; most are forest dwellers and even the species living in more open areas are quick to disappear...
, genet
Genet
-Aircraft:*Armstrong Siddeley Genet, aircraft engine*Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major, aircraft engine-Animals and Plants:*Genet , a colony of plants, fungi or bacteria that come from a single genetic source....
, dik dik
Dik Dik
Dik Dik are an Italian beat-pop-rock band, established in the 1960s and still in activity. They were most popular in the late 1960s, when they released a string of hit singles with the contribution of renowned lyric-writer Mogol and songwriter Lucio Battisti, their greatest successes being Sognando...
, African civet
African Civet
The African Civet is the largest representative of the African Viverridae. It is the sole member of its genus. African Civets can be found from coast to coast across sub-Saharan Africa. They are primarily nocturnal and spend the day sleeping in dense vegetation...
and epauletted bat .
Plant species typical to the forest include Olea europaea (var. africana), Croton megalocarpus, Warburgia ugandensis
Warburgia ugandensis
Warburgia ugandensis, also known as Uganda greenheart, is a species of evergreen tree native to Africa.The wood is resistant to insect attack and very strong...
, Brachyleana huillensis and Uvaridendron anisatum .
Development projects and environmental issues
Parts of the forest were degazetted by Minister of Environment Jeremiah NyagahJeremiah Nyagah
The most Honorable Doctor Jeremiah J.M. Nyagah E.G.H. was elected a member of the pre-independence Legislative Council to represent the present-day Embu, Mbeere, Kirinyaga and Nyeri districts in 1958...
in 1989 . Between 1994 and 1998 a total of 564.14 hectares of the forest were secretly allocated to 64 different companies for housing projects . Around 1995 there were plans to build a housing estate in the forest, but opposition by local residents led to temporary shelving of the plans .
The projects revitalised again in September 1998, when the Forest Department was issued a quit notice by private developers. The clearing of the forest started igniting fierce protests by environmentalists and others concerned. On October 7, 1998 the construction site was invaded by demonstrators, including 12 opposition MP's. The protest turned violent and bulldozers and other machinery used to clear the forest was destroyed worth more than 80 million Ksh (2$ US million) .
Minister for Lands and Settlements Noah Katana Ngala released a list of companies who had been allocated land in Karura Forest in November 1998. However, the records of those companies were not found at Registrar General's office, making it difficult to trace the individuals behind these companies .
On January 8, 1999 when a group of women led by Wangari Maathai
Wangari Maathai
Wangari Muta Mary Jo Maathai was a Kenyan environmental and political activist. She was educated in the United States at Mount St. Scholastica and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as the University of Nairobi in Kenya...
were holding a demonstration by planting trees near the forest, a large group of security guards attacked them. Several of them were injured, including Maathai who was taken to Nairobi Hospital
Nairobi Hospital
The Nairobi Hospital is a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. It was built as a European Hospital, as Kenya was then a British colony. It was later renamed The Nairobi Hospital. In the 1990's, there were two cases of the highly dangerous Biosafety Level 4 pathogen Marburg, one a patient and one a doctor,...
. The police was reluctant to investigate the incident. However, the Attorney-General Amos Wako
Amos Wako
Hon. S. Amos Wako served as th Attorney General of the republic of Kenya for 20 years .Wako was born in Kenya...
apologised Maathai and promised an inquiry on the incident .
The Time Magazine, in support of Maathai, named her a Hero of the Week in 1998 . Klaus Töpfer
Klaus Töpfer
Klaus Töpfer is a German politician and environmental politics expert. From 1998 to 2006 he was executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme ....
, the executive director of UNEP, warned that the organization may move its headquarters out of Kenya if the forest faces destruction . The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
also condemned the attack on Maathai . Architectural Association of Kenya
Architectural Association of Kenya
The Architectural Association of Kenya is a building professionals organization in Kenya. Membership is drawn from five major disciplines:*Architects*Quantity surveyors*Engineers*Town planners*Landscape architects...
asked in November 1998 Kenyan architects not to be involved with any design that would threat the forest
Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi
Daniel arap Moi
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002.Daniel arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'...
criticised the protesters and asked the Church not to involve itself with the saga . Minister for Natural Resources Francis Lotodo defended the projects in January 1999 stating that Nairobi as a growing city needed space for development . Professor R. A. Obudho of University of Nairobi
University of Nairobi
The University of Nairobi is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution goes back to 1956, it did not become an independent university until 1970 when the University of East Africa was split into three independent universities: Makerere University in...
, who specialises in urbanisation, also supported the projects
University of Nairobi
University of Nairobi
The University of Nairobi is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution goes back to 1956, it did not become an independent university until 1970 when the University of East Africa was split into three independent universities: Makerere University in...
students held several demonstrations for preservation the forest. On January 20, 1999 several students were injured when they clashed with police. The University if Nairobi was closed temporarily following the protests, and all students were ordered to leave the campus . Opposition MP's James Orengo
James Orengo
James Orengo, is a lawyer and former presidential candidate in Kenya. He comes from Ugenya Constituency of Siaya District; he was educated at Ambira Primary School and the Alliance High School. He is law graduate of the University of Nairobi where he was the student body president in his final year...
(Ford-Kenya), David Mwenje (DP) and Njehu Gatabaki (SDP) were charged in court for attending student protests .
Eventually housing plans were taken down in lack of public support, but land allocations still stood in place .
In 2003 the NARC government led by Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki is the current and third President of the republic of Kenya.Kibaki was previously Vice President of Kenya for ten years from 1978–1988 and also held cabinet ministerial positions, including a widely acclaimed stint as Minister for Finance , Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for...
replaced the long-standing Moi-led KANU
KANU
KANU or Kanu may refer to:*Kenya African National Union*KANU , a radio station licensed to Lawrence, Kansas, United States*Kanu - a kabuki play*Kanu Hawaii, a Hawaii based non profit...
-government. In 2003 the Minister of Environment Newton Kulundu
Newton Kulundu
Newton Kulundu was a Kenyan politician. He was the Minister of Labour and Human Resource Development in the Ministry of Labour , and a Member of Parliament in Lurambi Constituency .-Career:...
denied the American investor Raymond Chisholm a permit to construct a hotel in the forest . Learning that the new government would revoke dubious KANU-era land allocations, developers started to relinquish their properties in the forest
The new forest act in 2005 made it more difficult to degazette forests in Kenya, thus protecting Karura Forest as well
There was a project by Kenya Forest Service, UNEP and Red Cross Kenya in 2008 to cut down eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
and blue gum trees in parts of the forest and plant indigenous species in their place. Green Belt Movement was doubtful with the project, fearing that logging of the forest could actually lead to private developers invading the forest
In 2009 it was reported that part of the forest had been allocate to the National Environmental Management Authority
National Environmental Management Authority
The National Environment Management Authority is a government agency responsible for the management of the environment, and the environmental policy, of Kenya. NEMA is located in Nairobi....
(NEMA). This plan was also opposed by Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement
Green Belt Movement
The Green Belt Movement is an indigenous grassroots non-governmental organization based in Nairobi, Kenya that takes a holistic approach to development by focusing on environmental conservation, community development and capacity building...
, who stated that that NEMA should be protecting, not destructing the forest .
Tourism
Karura Forest is now developed as a visitor's attraction. This includes creation of nature trails . The first trail, which is four kilometres long and connects Limuru Road with Old Kiambu Road was opened in May 2009 . An electric fenceElectric fence
An electric fence is a barrier that uses electric shocks to deter animals or people from crossing a boundary. The voltage of the shock may have effects ranging from uncomfortable, to painful or even lethal...
is being built around the forest for security reasons .
The Karura Forest Environmental Education Trust (K-FEET) was formed in 2010, and launched by the minister of Forestry Noah Wekesa
Noah Wekesa
Noah Mahalang’ang’a Wekesa is a Kenyan politician. He belongs to the Party of National Unity and was elected to represent the Kwanza Constituency in the National Assembly of Kenya since the Kenyan parliamentary election, 2007...
. It will manage an environmental education centre located in Karura Forest
The Nairobi northern bypass road, under construction since 2009, will pass through a wetland which is said to feed Karura Forest, thus posing a threat to the forest .
There is a camping site in the forest .