Why Lupita wants SGR’s passage through Nairobi National Park stopped
Oscar winning actress Lupita Nyong’o has appealed to Kenyans to petition against the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway through the Nairobi National Park.
Through her official Facebook page, Ms Nyong’o, who is currently working with the Wildlife Direct, said if the construction proceeds as planned it will rob the city of its pride of being the only capital city with a national park.
“We as Kenyans are so fortunate to be the custodians of a large biodiversity that exists in our national parks. And we also boast having the ONLY capital city in the WORLD to have a national park within it, a major tourist attraction. But the Nairobi National Park is being threatened: there are plans to build a new railroad through it. Though we do need a new railway system, this plan is not the only solution available,” she said.
Ms Nyong’o went on to urge Kenyans to join her in writing to the Director of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
The proposal to have the second phase of the Standard Gauge Railway project pass through the Nairobi National Park has been met with sustained protests from conservationists and other interested parties.
This despite the contractor’s efforts to assure Kenyans that wildlife will be protected during and after construction.