A group of Nairobi residents expressed anger after mature trees were cut down along State House Road, raising concerns about urban environmental conservation.

Photos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke on 11 October showed the road littered with tangled branches and debris, rendering it impassable to vehicles.

The images suggest the trees were deliberately felled with power saws, and some workers were seen using machetes to cut the timber.

City advocate and Westlands MP aspirant Nelson Havi questioned the need to remove 50‑year‑old ornamental trees to create a dual carriageway, noting that the lower section of State House Road experiences minimal traffic.

Local netizens echoed the criticism, arguing that tree cutting contradicts Kenya’s climate‑change mitigation efforts, while a minority warned that aging trees could become hazards during the upcoming El Niño rains.

The Kilimani Community Foundation, which protested a similar expansion in June, opposed the widening project, saying it would likely attract more traffic rather than ease congestion.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja recently warned that illegal tree felling would attract arrests and penalties, emphasizing that any removal must be authorized by a written permit from the county Environment Director and accompanied by tree‑replacement planting.