Could a new highway divide Kenya's Aberdare national park?

DW (English)

Conservationists are battling a planned highway through the Aberdare National Park. They say it threatens rare species and the water supply for Nairobi.

Transcript

00:00A single dirt track, popular with water buffalo, is currently the only road here.

00:06But the Kenyan government wants to build a tarmac highway as part of its ambitious Mau Mau road construction project.

00:14It would cut right through the Abadea National Park, north of the capital, Nairobi.

00:23Abadea ecosystem is a critical water catchment area.

00:27We actually call it one of the five water towers in Kenya.

00:33So in terms of the resources that are being obtained from the Abadea,

00:41talking about water, 90% of water that is being used in Nairobi is being sourced from Abadea.

00:48Founded in 1950, the Abadea National Park covers around 767 square kilometers.

00:55It's home to nearly 800 types of plants and 270 animal species.

01:04Only off-road vehicles can negotiate the track and the need to drive carefully.

01:10The access road leading to the proposed 52-kilometer highway is already under construction.

01:16Supporters say the highway through the park will boost the economy, tourism and mobility linking two counties.

01:24Opponents argue that a reduction in travel time is negligible,

01:29that indigenous wildlife habitats will be affected and the park split in two.

01:35The northern sector, then the southern sector.

01:38This is going to have a serious impact on the ecosystem and biodiversity therein.

01:44An electric fence guards the perimeter of the park.

01:47It stretches for 400 kilometers, making it the longest conservation fence in the world.

01:53So far, it has successfully helped to curb poaching and the illegal extraction of charcoal.

01:59It also allows animals and humans to live together peacefully.

02:03The planned road could undo some of those successes.

02:09With the proposed road cutting through the Abadea and splitting it into two,

02:13then we certainly create a lot of opportunities for missing all the conservation efforts that have gone into the area,

02:25including the attempts to recover some of these species like the mountain bongo.

02:31But not everyone opposes the planned road.

02:34The Geta Community Forest Association uses the forest bordering the national park in a sustainable way.

02:41Here, their chairman Daniel Kiaria and community members are planting seedlings of indigenous trees for reforestation.

02:51We have over 17 user rights.

02:53Our communities graze their livestock here, for example.

02:56Then there is the so-called palace scheme, where people are allowed to farm crops in the early stages of a forest plantation.

03:03And after three years, they move out.

03:07The chairman supports the building of the road.

03:10He believes that conservation needs to be balanced with infrastructure development.

03:18There are effective ways to integrate the road with the conservation of our wildlife and forest.

03:24This isn't the first road to traverse a forest.

03:27We can implement strategies that develop our economy and protect our precious natural resources.

03:35Preparatory building work for the US$44 million Mau Mau Road is moving ever closer to the park.

03:43Environmentalists have proposed a bypass road, but the Kenyan government continues to push the route through the nature reserve.

03:50In 2024, judges from Kenya's highest court for environmental issues temporarily halted construction after various groups filed a petition.

04:00Now, a year later, they have rejected a government claim that the court does not have jurisdiction.

04:07The issues raised in the petition touch on the violation of various constitutional rights,

04:11such as the right to a clean and healthy environment, depletion of tree cover, climate change and biodiversity, among others.

04:17Accordingly, we come to the conclusion that the court has jurisdiction and the preliminary objection is not merited.

04:24The judges say they want to visit the sites of the proposed road to help them make an informed decision.

04:31As with many construction projects, the proposed road through Abodea National Park pits economic interests against the needs of the environment.

04:40Until the court's final verdict, the dirt track will remain the only way through the park.

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