100-year-old iconic fig tree along Waiyaki Way won’t be uprooted- NMS boss

As the government continues to clear trees along the area marked for the Nairobi Expressway, the iconic fig tree on  Waiyaki Way continues to elicit debate.

Conservationists and locals have demonstrated against attempts to uproot the tree.

Last month, the Kenya National Highways Authority said it was clearing structures on the path of the expressway.

The authority had said that the tree, which has been around for about 100 years, would be transported for relocation as part of environmental conservation efforts.

But on Wednesday, Nairobi Metropolitan Service General Mohamed Badi said the tree will neither be relocated nor cut.

Badi visited the site and said that following protests, the tree will instead be conserved.

“The specific purpose of me coming here is to assure members of the public and all the concerned groups that this tree will be preserved… whatever that’s going to happen here will not touch this tree,” Badi said.

He said that he will reach out to the expressway contractor as well as Kenha to ensure that the tree is protected.

NMS boss directed his staff to erect a fence around the tree and beautify it as the public continues to enjoy its presence.

At the same time, Badi said that his administration is on the move to make all the public places green and reclaim the grabbed public places.

“As I had said before, we are going for grabbed land that had been meant for public gardens…we are going to recover Nairobi to its lost glory in terms of green spaces.”

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