A wildlife society has raised
concerns
that the proposed SGR to Naivasha may extend beyond Nairobi National Park to other critical ecosystems.
East African Wildlife Society (EAWLS) said beacons and demarcations were found in Oloolua forest during a
routine fact-finding mission.
These were reportedly placed by a group of Chinese workers in the company of armed men.
"The society has received confirmation that the SGR will pass through the forest, a clear deviation from the SGR EIA report which indicated that the line would avoid the forest ecosystem (Ngong Hill Nature Reserve)," one of the
personnel
said.
Oloolua is one of the remaining forests of great ecological importance
in Nairobi. It is a fragmented tropical dry forest in an urban setting that provides an increasingly important link to conservation. This is mainly to Nairobi National Park, Ngong Hills and other adjacent wildlife areas.
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EAWLS executive director Julius Kamau said the development
was a result of the unwillingness by Kenya Railways to make public the railways' exact co-ordinates.
Kamau said this was contrary to Access to Information Act, 2016 "if not non-compliance with the EIA report and compromises effective integration of environmental aspects into the development in a proactive way".
"Attempts to get the exact area out of the 661 acres of the Oloolua forest have not been successful," he added.
Kenya Railways was not immediately available for comment.
Kamau said EAWLS will continue to analyse the Standard Gauge Railway's impacts on
ecosystems.
He asked conservation organisations, the public and other
stakeholders
to be on the lookout and express their concerns.
The director also asked Kenya Railways to adhere to the terms and conditions of the EIA licence and make public the specific route co-ordinates for Phase 2A of the railway.
Kamau noted that this will allow effective and proactive engagement with stakeholders and the public and ensure optimal mitigation of the adverse effects of the development on natural systems.
"EAWLS also call upon the Environment ministry and Kenya Railways to constitute a multi-stakeholder group to monitor the construction of the SGR and ensure all mitigation measures as prescribed in the EIA report are adhered to," he said.
The construction of the Nairobi-Naivasha SGR will cost taxpayers Sh2.02 billion more.
The 120km route had been estimated to cost approximately Sh150 billion.
Kenya Railways MD Atanas Maina said the cost went up after the original route was modified as demanded by conservationists.
The survival of ecosystems and costs are a concern but Kenya Railways said
phase two, from Syokimau in Machakos to Suswa in Kajiado,
.
Engineer Maxwell Mengich said the phase, which runs from Nairobi to Naivasha, will change the face of Kajiado county. Mengich said it will open up Twala, Ongata Rongai, Kiserian, Bulbul and Ngong towns.
Transport CS James Macharia assured last September that the route that slices through the park was the only viable option and would result in limited disruptions.
“If not through the park, the railway will have to go to Syokimau freight station, then back to Athi River. Imagine the inefficiencies. It would be non-operational. In reality, this was the only option,” he said.
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