A section of Nairobi residents have expressed anger over the felling of mature trees along State House Road, calling out authorities over concerns about urban environmental conservation.
Images obtained by Kenyans.co.ke on Sunday, October 11, show a once-busy thoroughfare littered with tangled branches and debris, making the road impassable to vehicles.
Reports indicate that the trees are being felled to pave the way for a possible expansion of the road into a dual carriageway, though this publication could not independently verify that.
Pedestrians, including families, are seen navigating the wreckage on foot after the fallen trees and debris blocked access to vehicles.
Screengrabs of trees fallen along Statehouse Road on Sunday, October 11, with a highlight of a man using a machete to slice through the tree stamps and branches.
Nelson Havi
An analysis of the images shows that the trees appear to have been deliberately cut down using power saws rather than falling naturally. Some men are also seen cutting through the timber using machetes.
The incident has sparked public outrage, with city advocate and Westlands MP aspirant Nelson Havi questioning the felling of mature urban trees. Havi has previously spoken out against the cutting of trees along the road.
“Lower State House Road has the least traffic. What justification is there in felling 50-year-old ornamental trees to dual the road,” Havi stated.
Another frustrated netizen argued that tree cutting should not be encouraged as the country faces the effects of climate change.
“With looming climate change, cutting down trees should not be an agenda in our country. Cutting down trees from water towers to the CBD should be condemned,” the netizen stated.
However, some netizens held a contrary view, arguing that the trees were old and could pose a danger to motorists and pedestrians if left standing, particularly during the anticipated El Niño rains.
Local groups, including the Kilimani Community Foundation (KCF), have also opposed the proposed expansion of State House Road, arguing that widening it could attract more traffic rather than ease congestion. The group was among those that staged protests against the project in June.
This comes months after Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja warned government agencies, contractors, and private developers against illegally cutting mature trees, threatening arrests and penalties.
He stated that all tree felling requires a written permit from the county Environment Director, directing offenders to plant multiple replacements, while questioning whether seedlings can compensate for decades-old trees.
The warning also extended to state agencies such as KeNHA, KURA, and Kenya Power.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja during a County Cabinet meeting at City Hall, Nairobi, on October 6, 2026.
Photo
NCCG