The United Green Movement (UGM) Party has accused President William Ruto’s administration of overseeing the destruction of Kenya’s forests, national parks, water towers and urban green spaces, alleging that environmental protection has been compromised by political and commercial interests.
In a statement issued in Nairobi on Monday, August 24, the party said the government’s environmental record contradicted its highly publicised campaign to plant 15 billion trees by 2032.
UGM said mature trees, including indigenous species that serve as important carbon sinks, were being cut down while the government promoted tree-planting activities.
“The United Green Movement (UGM) Party strongly condemns the ongoing, systemic decimation of Kenya's public forests, national parks, and urban green spaces over the last four years under the William Ruto administration,” the party said.
It accused the government of using tree-planting campaigns and other environmental initiatives to create a positive public image while, according to the party, mature forests and green spaces continued to face destruction.
“This is not development; it is an organized ecocide driven by state capture and absolute impunity,” the party said.
The party cited what it described as extensive destruction of mature trees in Nairobi, including along Lower State House Road, Waiyaki Way, Parklands and areas surrounding Karura Forest.
UGM also accused the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) of bypassing local environmental requirements while implementing infrastructure projects that have resulted in the removal of trees.
The party further criticised the lifting of the logging ban, claiming the decision exposed the Mau Forest Complex to illegal logging and land grabbing.
“The administration's unilateral decision to lift the logging ban opened the floodgates for illegal loggers and well-connected land grabbers to infiltrate the Mau Forest Complex, erasing vital biodiversity corridors,” it said.
UGM also questioned the management of the government’s 15-billion-tree campaign, alleging that the initiative had not produced the ecological restoration expected from such a large-scale programme.
The party claimed the campaign had instead become a vehicle for financial impropriety and alleged that attempts had been made to channel more than Sh129 billion in international climate financing through the Ministry of Environment while bypassing National Treasury oversight.
It further raised concerns over Kenya’s carbon-credit sector, accusing the government of prioritising commercial interests over local communities and the protection of indigenous forests.
The party also alleged that environmental enforcement institutions had been weakened and that court orders relating to logging and public land allocations had been disregarded.
UGM said the 2027 General Election would provide an opportunity to change Kenya’s approach to environmental governance.
It proposed what it described as an eco-socialist model focused on protecting natural resources and expanding employment opportunities in the green economy.
Its proposals include constitutional and physical protection of water towers, public forests and urban green spaces, incentives for community-based agroforestry, expansion and rehabilitation of civic green spaces, and the creation of millions of jobs in conservation, waste management and renewable energy.
The party also called on Kenyans to engage in peaceful civic action against environmental destruction by demanding environmental impact assessment permits for developments on public land, reporting suspected land grabbing and protecting remaining urban forests.
UGM endorsed former Chief Justice David Maraga as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election, saying his record on constitutionalism and institutional independence made him suitable to lead efforts to dismantle what it termed environmental cartels.
Katto Wambua, the party’s Co-Secretary General, said UGM’s political programme would seek to “reset, restore and rebuild” Kenya’s environmental systems.