Nairobi News

Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja deleted a tweet demanding to know the identity of the county officer who authorised pruning of trees in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD).

In the tweet, the governor criticised county officers who had trimmed trees along Kenyatta Avenue saying he had talked to the officer responsible and was waiting for a response on the matter.

“It has been brought to my attention about these officers cutting down trees. I do not support cutting down of trees. We plan to increase the tree cover within the CBD and I do not support it. I have asked the responsible officer,” Mr Sakaja said in the tweet, that he deleted after a few minutes.

Also read: Marabou stork invasion: Sakaja explains why trees in the CBD are being pruned

The trees include old palm trees along Kenyatta Avenue, Moi Avenue and other areas within the city.

Sakaja later replaced it with another tweet reading: “I have been assured that the pruning done after the outcry by pedestrians due to the recent Marabou stork’s invasion was procedural and that the tree shall be nurtured. Again I reiterate, we will increase our tree cover in the city. I was upset as you all but the tree will grow.”

The large birds are largely scavengers. There are also a number of threats associated to the birds, and endoparasites have been identified in wild marabous.

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Kenyatta Avenue is lined with several trees some of which conservationists term as ornamental.

County workers last week started pruning all the branches of the trees leaving behind thick dry stems with the hope that fresh leaves would sprout.

As the branches fell off, the natural habitat for the birds dropped off, taking away the shelter that had become the birds’ new home after their natural habitat at Nyayo Stadium was destroyed during the construction of the Nairobi Expressway.

Also read: Sakaja praises Badi for refurbishment of Uhuru Park and Central Park