Protests erupted in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) on Tuesday as civil society groups and community forest defenders marched, demanding an end to deforestation and stronger protection for Kenya's forests.

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Footage and images obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed demonstrators, including Greenpeace Africa, marching from Uhuru Park to the Ministry of Environment, holding placards and twigs while chanting.

Just a few metres away, the chants were audible at Afya House as Health CS Aden Duale addressed the nation on Kenya's first Ebola case.

The groups raised concerns over the continued destruction of forests, calling for stronger measures to protect forest ecosystems and surrounding communities.

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The groups assert that Kenya is about to lose the national forest cover, which stands at 8.83 per cent, remaining below the constitutional and international target of 10 per cent.

Despite disrupting traffic and other activities, no major incidents of repulsion by security officers were reported.

Outside the ministry, the groups presented an open letter to Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa, backed by more than 60,000 petition signatures, listing four demands for the government.

Documents seen by this publication show they want the halting of contentious projects in Imenti, Karura, Ngong Road, and Suam forests, as well as in Nairobi National Park.

Additionally, the protesters demanded that previous court orders relating to the projects be respected and that the logging ban in the Mau Forest Complex be reinstated.

The petitioners also want public disclosure of every excision, easement, and licence, a bigger say for community forest associations, and prosecution of those behind illegal logging and land grabbing.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke