The Green Belt Movement has opposed what it describes as an emerging plan to convert parts of Meru’s Imenti Forest into an airstrip, golf course and State Lodge, warning that the proposals could threaten one of Kenya’s key forest ecosystems.
In a statement issued on June 4, the organisation said it had received information linking senior government officials to plans that could result in the destruction of sections of the forest, which serves as a water catchment area and biodiversity habitat.
The group said its concerns date back to September 2025 when it publicly opposed proposals to establish a State Lodge and golf course within Imenti Forest. It now claims those fears are beginning to materialise following recent developments involving forest authorities and county officials.
According to the organisation, the Principal Secretary for Forestry approved a request in May 2026 for the issuance of a Special User Licence linked to the construction of a 17.5-kilometer section of the Meru Bypass under the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project. The project would require the use of 2.75 hectares of Imenti Forest.
While the proposal was presented as a road infrastructure project, the Green Belt Movement says reports have since emerged showing officials from the Forestry Ministry, Meru County Government, and the Kenya Forest Service touring Kambakia Forest, a section of Imenti Forest, to identify sites for an airstrip, golf course, and state lodge.
The organisation argues that the developments raise concerns about the future of public forests and the safeguards meant to protect them. It points to recent amendments to the Forest Conservation and Management Act, which expanded the powers of the Kenya Forest Service to issue easements and wayleaves in public forests. Environmental groups had opposed the changes, warning they could open protected forests to commercial interests.
The Green Belt Movement further argues that public forests are protected under the Constitution and should not be converted to other uses without public participation, environmental impact assessments, and compliance with existing laws.
The organisation has called for the full disclosure of all plans relating to Imenti Forest and Kambakia Forest and demanded an immediate halt to any licensing or land conversion processes connected to the proposed developments. It has also urged Parliament, the National Land Commission, environmental regulators, and civil society organisations to scrutinize the plans.
The group also appealed to the World Bank and other development partners supporting the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project to ensure that project financing does not contribute to the degradation of protected forest ecosystems.
Invoking the legacy of environmentalist and founder of the Green Belt Movement Wangari Maathai, the organisation said forests are a public resource that must be protected for current and future generations.