Chaos mars Maathai, Ngilu tree planting drive

By Anne Kanina

Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai and Minister for Water Charity Ngilu encountered an angry mob during tree-planting in Spring Valley, Nairobi, on Saturday.

Stones and arrows were hurled at the tree planters followed by a looting spree as ten luxurious villas under construction were engulfed in smoke.

The chaos erupted just before the crowd that had gathered to plant trees on the wetland to save Kibarange River, a tributary of Nairobi River, had started.

Maathai had earlier given a speech on the ongoing ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign on saving of forests and wetlands to kick start the tree planting.

"We must all be conscious of the importance of the environment to the livelihood of people. We must also realise when we destroy the environment it will destroy us," said Maathai.

She warned boreholes would soon dry up if people are allowed to build on marshlands.

"Everybody must ensure Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is done before constructing a building to find out its environmental effect," she advised.

Ngilu supported the exercise, saying Kenyans are tired and "before we go for the Mau Complex we must start with our own neighbourhood."

Westlands DC Flora Murua accompanied by Gigiri OCPD Paul Korir, Administration and regular police arrived later to calm the crowd.

"I knew there would be a tree planting day. But no one suspected there would be such damage," said Murua.

However, residents alleged the ten luxurious villas were being built on public land supposed to be secured as a wetland.

Later Sound Equipment, the company building the villas, presented documents indicating the City Council of Nairobi and National Environmental Management Authority had approved the construction.