Why road in Nairobi Park may not be good for wildlife
A banner agitating for the conservation of Nairobi National Park. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- The project has many advantages, including improved transport, safety, punctuality and reduced emissions.
- Conservationist Jim Nyamu said that construction of the road through the park would be a major setback in the fight for environmental protection.
In the development plan expected to transform Kenya into an industrialised middle-level income country by 2030, the government underscores the importance of securing wildlife corridors and migratory routes.
However, the same authorities could be flouting the very rules they drafted.
A case in point is the proposed Inland Container Depot access road on the inner boundary of Nairobi National Park.
Kenya Railways wants to build a 4.153-kilometre road linking the container depot to the Southern Bypass through the park.
The ICD at Embakasi is owned and operated by Kenya Ports Authority and is linked by the standard gauge railway to the port of Mombasa.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
The road will connect the west entrance of the ICD, running through the inner boundary of the park and end at the Southern Bypass.
Kenya Railways says the road will facilitate fast movement of cargo, address traffic congestion on Mombasa Road and reduce the overall transport costs.
Ordinarily, environmental compliance forms part of planning and is sought before construction decisions are made.
The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has invited Kenyans and other interested parties to give views on the planned road.
“Nema invites the public to submit oral or written submissions within 30 days from the date of publication of this notice to assist the authority in making decisions for this project,” Nema Director-General Geoffrey Wahungu said.
HABITAT LOSS
The park is the only one of its kind in the world within a capital city.
Despite its modest size, it is one of the world’s most diverse protected areas.
According to Environment Management Consultancy (Ema), which undertook the EIA study, consultations were done through questionnaire and public consultative forums on March 2 at Kenya Wildlife Service headquarters in Nairobi.
The environment experts in their report said a majority of those who spoke at the forums believed the project would result in habitat loss at the park.
They said since the road is designed to utilise land in the park, it will result in loss of habitat and vegetation and compromise the ability to provide vital ecosystem services.
“It may also cause change in wildlife behaviour due to the effects of disturbance that might be felt beyond the confines of the edges of the road,” the report added.
TRAFFIC JAM
But a neighbourhood establishment consulted via questionnaires approved the project and said it couldn’t wait to get alternative route from Mombasa Road, citing the unending jams.
Alternatives considered in the report include construction of the road along the outer boundary of the park or under the park as a tunnel.
Other residents opposed the project, saying trucks should continue using Mombasa Road.
According to the report, the project has many advantages, including improved transport, safety, punctuality and reduced emissions.
“The project will also have negative effects on the physical, cultural and socio-economic environment,” the report added.
“In view of this, Kenya Railways has undertaken this environmental and social impact assessment to address the negative impacts and enhance the positive ones,” Ema said.
SUGGESTIONS
The consultancy group gave its recommendations.
“Since the proposed project is designed to utilise approximately 21 metres width by 4,153 metres length of land in the inner boundary of the eastern side of Nairobi National Park, Kenya Railways is advised to compensate for this land by purchasing at least 10 times or more of similar land on the southern side of the park that is in danger of being fully developed, thus preventing migration of wildlife” it said.
“The purchased land must be subsequently gazetted as protected and belonging to the park. This will not only compensate for land but also aid in the conservation efforts.”
CONSERVATION
Mr Jim Nyamu, a conservationist, told the Sunday Nation that construction of the road through the park would be a major setback in the fight for environmental protection.
Mr Nyamu said reduced size of the park would escalate wildlife to wildlife and human/wildlife conflicts, “which will spill over to the neighbourhoods”.
“Conservationists’ voices in this country are being disregarded by authorities.
"The Kenya Wildlife Service, the National Assembly, Senate, Nema and the environmental tribunal are supposed to promote and protect public interest,” Mr Nyamu, who is also the Elephant Neighbours Centre executive, director said.
