Kenyan court bars construction of car park at Nairobi Animal Orphanage
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A Nairobi court has stopped the Kenya Wildlife Service from building a parking facility inside the Nairobi Animal Orphanage and from further works in Nairobi National Park while a petition by 4,642 Kenyans is heard.
A Kenyan court has prohibited the government from continuing construction of a proposed parking facility within the existing Nairobi Animal Orphanage, and from carrying out any activity that could destroy part of Nairobi National Park, while a dispute over developments inside the protected park continues.
The orders, issued on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, arise from a petition filed by 4,642 Kenyans against the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the Attorney General and other respondents, challenging development projects within the park and arguing that conservation land is being used for construction at the expense of wildlife habitats.
The case follows months of litigation over government plans to relocate the Nairobi Animal Orphanage to a new site opposite the Bomas of Kenya, a project KWS says is needed to accommodate growing numbers of rescued animals and visitors. The agency has said the new facility would include larger enclosures, a wildlife hospital, veterinary services and additional rehabilitation space, and announced the relocation plan on 5 June.
In July, the court issued conservatory orders halting construction and development activities linked to the relocation after environmentalists raised concerns about vegetation clearing and interference with protected parkland. The dispute escalated on 21 July when petitioners accused KWS officers of blocking them from a court-ordered site inspection supervised by Deputy Registrar Vincent Kiplagat; the petitioners' group, Friends of Nairobi National Park, said armed and masked officers initially restricted access before allowing them in after the inspection had ended.
According to Kenyans.co.ke, satellite images reviewed in August showed that about 4.94 acres of vegetation had been cleared at the proposed relocation site, with the affected section remaining bare despite the earlier court orders. Court officials had visited both the existing orphanage and the proposed site opposite Bomas of Kenya, where construction stalled after the legal challenge.
Environmentalists argue the developments threaten the park's protected status and its wildlife, while KWS maintains that the relocation is necessary to improve animal welfare and visitor facilities. The matter will return to court as the petition is determined.