Green Belt Movement warns against plans to develop Imenti forest
The Green Belt Movement (GBM) has strongly condemned a scheme to carve up sections of Meru’s Imenti Forest for the construction of an airstrip, golf course and State Lodge, warning that the plans threaten one of Kenya’s most important forest ecosystems.
In a statement issued yesterday, the environmental organization expressed alarm over reports that senior government officials are pursuing projects that could lead to the destruction and fragmentation of parts of the forest, which serves as a critical water catchment area and biodiversity reservoir.
The group revealed that on May 6, 2026, the Principal Secretary for Forestry, Gitonga Mugambi, granted concurrence to the Chief Conservator of Forests following a request for a Special User Licence to facilitate construction of a 17.5-kilometre Meru Bypass under the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project. The road project, funded by the World Bank’s International Development Association, would require the use of 2.75 hectares of Imenti Forest.
However, GBM argued that recent developments indicate a broader agenda beyond road infrastructure. The organization cited reports of the Forestry PS, Meru Governor Mutuma M’Ethingia and Kenya Forest Service officials touring Kambakia Forest, a section of Imenti Forest, to identify potential sites for the proposed airstrip, golf course and State Lodge.
“The justification being advanced is familiar. We are told these projects will unlock investment, boost tourism and accelerate economic growth,” the organization said.
“Forests are not vacant land waiting for powerful people to dream up luxury projects.”
GBM warned that the plans appear to validate concerns raised during debates over amendments to Section 56(2) of the Forest Conservation and Management Act, which expanded the Kenya Forest Service’s authority to issue easements and wayleaves in public forests. Environmental defenders had opposed the changes, arguing they could open protected forests to commercial interests.
The organization questioned how the proposed developments would contribute to conservation, describing them as luxury projects with no place in a protected public forest.
Calling the initiative “environmental thuggery dressed up as economic progress,” GBM demanded full disclosure of all plans relating to Imenti and Kambakia forests and urged authorities to halt any allocation, licensing or conversion of forest land.
The movement also appealed to Parliament, the National Land Commission, development partners and the public to resist any actions that could undermine the integrity of Kenya’s public forests, pledging to stand with communities and environmental defenders in protecting the ecosystem.
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