Nearly Five Acres Cleared for New Nairobi Animal Orphanage as Court Battle Intensifies
Satellite imagery reviewed by Kenyans.co.ke indicates that almost five acres of land earmarked for Nairobi’s proposed new Animal Orphanage have been cleared, even as a court order has halted construction and development activities connected to the relocation project.
The cleared section, measuring approximately 4.94 acres, lies along Langata Road, directly opposite the entrance to the new Bomas of Kenya, and forms part of the proposed 89-acre site for the facility.
Satellite images from the Copernicus Browser reviewed by Kenyans.co.ke show a significant transformation of the area over the past year.
Imagery from December 2023, December 2024, December 2025 and January 7, 2026 showed the section largely covered by trees and vegetation, with no obvious evidence of large-scale disturbance.
The first noticeable signs of clearing appeared in imagery captured on May 22, 2026, when portions of the vegetation had been removed.
By June 6, a considerably larger area had been cleared, leaving a substantial section of exposed ground.
The clearing remained visible in imagery captured on July 22, with no obvious major expansion compared with the preceding images.
That satellite image was captured just one day after the Environment and Land Court in Nairobi issued a conservatory order stopping ongoing construction and development projects inside Nairobi National Park associated with the proposed relocation of the Animal Orphanage.
The latest imagery, captured on August 12, continued to show the approximately 4.94-acre section largely bare.
A separate linear strip of cleared land can also be seen close to the park boundary along Langata Road. Its appearance is consistent with an access road or track, although the imagery alone does not establish its purpose.
A visit to the site found the cleared section enclosed with fencing resembling the Kenya Wildlife Service’s standard fencing, including green posts and barbed wire.
Satellite analysis also identified a much larger area of approximately 26 hectares, or about 64 acres, with little or no significant tree cover. The area is expected to form part of the proposed development site.
KWS had not responded to questions from Kenyans.co.ke regarding the clearance, including when the work was undertaken, who carried it out and whether any development activity had continued following the court order.
Why is Nairobi’s Animal Orphanage being moved?
The clearance is connected to a multibillion-shilling plan to relocate the 62-year-old Nairobi Animal Orphanage from its existing site to a larger wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and education facility.
KWS announced the proposed relocation in June, arguing that the existing facility could no longer adequately meet modern conservation requirements or cope with increasing demands placed on it.
The proposed replacement facility is expected to feature larger and more natural animal enclosures, separate areas for herbivores and carnivores, a wildlife hospital, quarantine facilities and expanded veterinary services.
Plans also envisage a facility capable of accommodating up to 20,000 visitors, with boardwalks, outdoor classrooms and expanded parking facilities.
Supporters of the project have presented the relocation as an effort to modernise wildlife conservation and improve the welfare of animals kept at the orphanage.
However, the project has also attracted legal scrutiny, particularly over proposed developments within or around Nairobi National Park.
The satellite record provides a visual timeline of the changes, showing how an area that remained substantially vegetated at the beginning of 2026 had become significantly cleared by August.
With the relocation plans now facing court proceedings, questions remain over the extent of work already undertaken on the proposed site and what will happen to the cleared land while the legal dispute continues.
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