The county says it will pull down billboards owned by at least five advertising firms, which it says are notorious for illegally felling trees on major roads. It plans to start this week.
Some trees even have been poisoned by toxic chemicals poured on the soil, county officials said.
“We have narrowed down to five companies led by Magnate Ventures and each of them owns at least 100 structures. We cannot allow this to continue,” Agriculture executive Danvas Makori told the Star yesterday.
Verify from company names
Magnate Venture managing director Stanley Njenga denied his firm is behind the illegal tree felling.
“That is a lie because anywhere a tree is cut, we will see a billboard erected there and the name of the companies displayed. It is something we can all verify if Magnate Venture is involved,” Njenga told the Star on the phone.
The county said it will start pulling down all board standing near felled trees to “discipline” companies for the illegal act.
Tax evasion
“This can start anytime. We cannot tolerate this,” Makori said.
“We are going to arrest anybody cutting down trees for billboards and bring down those billboards. We’re not going to permit billboards if it means a tree or even a branch has to be cut off to put up a billboard,” he said.
Makori said most of the billboards are illegally erected by City Hall cartels in a tax evasion racket.
Illegal tree felling has increased in the last month. Many trees have been cut down along Waiyaki Way, Langata Road, Limuru Road and Brookside Drive.Trees along Prof Wangari Maathai Road (former Forest Road), Mombasa Road, Peponi and Ngong Roads have also been cut. As late as yesterday, trees were still being cut on Waiyaki Way between Lion Place and Safaricom House.
Makori said firms have firms have come up with ingenious ways to kill trees to give visibility to their billboards or make space for new billboards. He said some companies have been pruning trees without county approval.
Audit underway
“They are now pouring chemicals under trees and after a short time, trees start withering and die. This is a new trick,” he said.
Agriculture committee chairman John Mwangi called the tree felling regrettable and said he would demand a comprehensive report.
He said the Finance sector is auditing to establish the number of billboards that are not permitted and for which companies have not paid taxes.
Ex-Governor Evans Kidero issued a similar caution following rampant felling of trees. He ordered the removal of billboards interfering with trees.