Maraga’s UGM Criticizes Government’s 15 Billion Tree Campaign for Failing Environmental Goals

The United Green Movement (UGM), led by former Chief Justice David Maraga, has sharply criticized the government’s 15 billion tree planting initiative, asserting it has failed to deliver meaningful environmental restoration.

In a statement released on Monday, UGM accused the campaign of serving as a financial distraction while mature trees and key ecological areas face ongoing destruction. The party highlighted widespread cutting of mature trees, which are vital carbon sinks, to benefit commercial interests and political patronage.

Concerns Over Tree Destruction and Regulatory Failures

• UGM expressed alarm over the felling of decades-old trees along major Nairobi roads and around Karura Forest, citing infrastructure projects as the justification.
• The party accused government agencies such as Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) of bypassing local environmental regulations and failing to secure county approvals before tree removal.
• It condemned the lifting of the logging ban, which it said opened the Mau Forest Complex to illegal loggers and politically connected land grabbers.
• UGM further alleged that public forest boundaries are being altered through gazette notices to facilitate private commercial developments, threatening protected areas like Nairobi National Park.

Allegations of Corruption and State Capture

The party described the tree campaign as a front for multi-billion-shilling financial improprieties, citing whistleblower reports and investigations. It accused the government of channeling over USD 1 billion in international climate funds through the Ministry of Environment without proper oversight.

UGM also criticized the prioritization of selling cheap carbon credits to global polluters at the expense of local communities and indigenous forests. The dismissal of forest rangers suspected of aiding forest destruction was cited as evidence of compromised environmental enforcement.

Highlighting a pattern of state capture, UGM accused the Executive of disregarding Environment and Land Court rulings aimed at halting illegal logging and land allocations. It claimed that independent conservation bodies and regulatory agencies have been weakened or co-opted, turning public land and green spaces into political rewards.

UGM’s Vision Ahead of 2027 Elections

Looking toward the 2027 General Election, UGM pledged to implement an eco-socialist governance model focused on protecting water towers, public forests, and urban green spaces. The party promised community-based agroforestry with financial incentives, expansion of civic green spaces, and the creation of sustainable green jobs in conservation, waste management, and renewable energy.

UGM urged citizens to engage in peaceful civic action to demand valid environmental impact assessments, expose land grabbers, and safeguard remaining urban forests.

The party has nominated David Maraga as its presidential candidate, emphasizing his record defending constitutionalism and the rule of law. It said voting for UGM candidates will help restore Kenya’s green heritage and protect its ecological assets.