This archive report was first published on 3 November 2021.
Published on November 3, 2021, residents in Nairobi's Central Business District are up in arms over the pruning of old palm trees along Moi Avenue, Ronald Ngala, and Kenyatta Avenue.
The move by planners has sparked outrage among conservationists and nature lovers, who claim that the palm trees are being destroyed without due consideration for their environmental value.
According to Andrew Omondi, a parking attendant along Moi Avenue, several motorists have complained about branches from the palm trees damaging their vehicles. He estimates that over six vehicles have been affected in the past month alone.
"That is why we raised the issue with the authorities after noting how motorists were avoiding the area fearing that branches will damage their vehicles," Omondi explained.
However, a county parking attendant suggested that the palm trees may be weakened by birds perching on top of them, which could be contributing to the branches falling off.
One resident, Eliud Kim, had his windscreen smashed by a branch that fell off from a palm tree. While he was compensated by his insurance, he expressed frustration with the process and the potential loss of environmental value.
Larry Wambua, County executive for Environment, attributed the pruning to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS), while another official defended the county's actions, stating that they act swiftly to avoid legal suits when complaints are reported.
Paul Gacheru, Nature Kenya's Species and Sites Programmes Manager, argued that palm trees, despite being exotic, still contribute value to the environment and climate change. He suggested that relocating the trees could be a more viable option than cutting them down.
