By James Murimi - Reporter
Kenya, June 15, 2026 - A major environmental showdown is brewing in the Mt Kenya region after conservationists demanded the immediate suspension of an airstrip under construction in the Upper Imenti Forest Reserve, warning that the project could permanently damage one of Kenya's most important water towers and wildlife habitats.
Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust has written to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), urging the agency to stop the works and investigate what it describes as serious breaches of environmental and constitutional requirements.
The conservation organisation says the project is proceeding without public participation, an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), or approval from NEMA.
In a strongly-worded appeal, Rhino Ark Executive Director Christian Lambrechts warned that the country risks sacrificing a globally significant ecosystem for a project whose environmental costs could far outweigh its benefits.
"We cannot trade one of Kenya's water towers for short-term convenience," Lambrechts said.
"Upper Imenti is protected for a reason. It feeds the Tana and Ewaso Nyiro rivers, shelters elephants and holds many plant species found nowhere else on Earth."
He added: "No ESIA, no public participation, no licence means no construction. NEMA must halt works now."
The dispute centres on the Upper Imenti Forest Reserve, a protected section of the larger Mt Kenya ecosystem that plays a critical role in supplying water to millions of Kenyans, supporting agriculture, hydropower generation and irrigation schemes across the country.
According to Rhino Ark, the reserve lies at the hydrological divide between the Tana and Ewaso Nyiro river basins, making it one of the country's most environmentally sensitive landscapes.
The organisation argues that any degradation of the forest could undermine water security and ecological stability in vast regions of Kenya.
"Mt Kenya is one of the five main water towers of Kenya," the organisation said.
"The Upper Imenti Forest Reserve lies on the hydrological divide between the Tana and Ewaso Nyiro catchments."
The conservation body says it has invested more than Sh1 billion over the last 14 years in protecting the Mt Kenya ecosystem, including the construction of 320 kilometres of electric fencing designed to reduce human-wildlife conflict and curb illegal exploitation of forest resources.
Part of that investment included 54 kilometres of fencing around Upper and Lower Imenti forests.
Rhino Ark says those interventions dramatically reduced deadly encounters between wildlife and neighbouring communities.
Beyond water resources, conservationists say the airstrip threatens one of Kenya's richest biodiversity zones.
The Mt Kenya ecosystem hosts more than 880 plant species, including 81 species found nowhere else in the world, as well as internationally significant populations of elephants, bongos, leopards, giant forest hogs and dozens of rare bird species.
Of particular concern is the impact on elephants.
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Scientific surveys conducted by conservation organisations and government wildlife agencies estimate that Mt Kenya is home to between 1,900 and 2,600 elephants.
"The Upper Imenti Forest has the highest density of elephants during the dry season," Rhino Ark said.
"This is exactly where the airstrip is being constructed."
The organisation further revealed that the proposed site is located near a known elephant maternity area and within a critical wildlife corridor connecting Mt Kenya to conservation landscapes in northern Kenya.
Recognizing the importance of the route, Rhino Ark and its conservation partners have previously invested in specialized elephant gates to facilitate safe wildlife movement between protected habitats.
Environmentalists now fear that increased air traffic, noise and human activity could disrupt those migration patterns and fragment habitats that have taken decades to secure.
Rhino Ark is also questioning the rationale behind constructing a new facility inside a protected forest when an existing airstrip already operates near Meru.
"There is an existing airstrip, called Gaitu, located 14 kilometres to the south-east of Meru Town," the organisation noted.
"We are proposing that Gaitu Airstrip be upgraded instead of building a second airstrip in the Upper Imenti Forest. This will be more cost-effective and have no or far less negative environmental impacts."
The organisation argues that the project runs contrary to Kenya's commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Sustainable Development Goals and the country's ambitious tree-growing programme championed by President William Ruto.
In its letter to NEMA, Rhino Ark warned that approving the airstrip could undermine Kenya's international environmental credibility.
"The airstrip under construction will contribute to, instead of combating climate change, by causing deforestation and forest degradation," the organisation stated.
It further cautioned that the project could weaken efforts to achieve national targets on forest restoration, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.
As pressure mounts on regulators, conservationists insist the issue is bigger than a single infrastructure project.
For them, the battle is about safeguarding a nationally important ecosystem whose forests provide water, store carbon, sustain wildlife and support livelihoods far beyond the boundaries of Meru County.
"Protecting the Mt Kenya ecosystem is not only a legal obligation but a national responsibility," Rhino Ark said.
"The long-term value of safeguarding one of Kenya's most important water towers, wildlife habitats and biodiversity hotspots far outweighs the short-term benefits of constructing an airstrip within a protected forest reserve."