The North Imenti Member of Parliament Abdul Rahim Dawood had been a staunch supporter of a proposed airstrip in Imenti Forest but on Saturday 5th September, 2026, he voiced his opposition to the development in a surprising reversal of course. Explaining the decision to change his stance, the legislator cited a Sauti Sessions Network investigative report that aired on NTV and showed elephants roaming on the site of the proposed airstrip. In his explanation, the legislator appeared to suggest that he was not aware that the airstrip site was an important elephant corridor, and that the Sauti Sessions Network investigation had opened his eyes to that fact.
“When I lobbied for a state lodge and airstrip, I did not advocate for the destruction of the forest. I expected a civilian airstrip which could be built away from the forest and elephant corridor. When I watched the report on NTV, it dawned on me that elephants were using the affected area and many trees had been felled, ” the legislator said.
In 2023, Rahim Dawood personally lobbied President William Ruto to prioritise the construction of an airstrip in Imenti Forest, and was among political leaders in Meru supporting the project that has been mired in controversy and legal challenges.
Titled ‘When Trees Fall: The Battle over Imenti Forest’, the investigation by Sauti Sessions Network journalist Ian Wafula captured elephants moving on the airstrip area, raising concerns that the development would significantly affect the activities of the animals. It also unearthed how flawed a public participation exercise conducted by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to collect the views of locals was with claims that goons were paid to counter opposition to the project. The report was able to prove using satellite images commissioned for the investigation that development of the airstrip had begun before the public participation exercise.
In July 2026, the Environmental and Land Court in Meru suspended development in Imenti Forest until the consolidated petitions filed against the projects are heard and determined. Government officials, in a bid to justify the airstrip, have said that it would help in responding to forest fires more quickly.
The Sauti Sessions Network investigation, which aired on Thursday 3rd September, 2026, attracted many reactions from Kenyans on social media platforms:
TikTok
@tracee:This is so sad ,Imenti forest is a home and a maternity for the elephants and a primary water catchment area in Meru,the court allegedly did suspend all developments till the final ruling which is supposed to be on 30th September it so sad to even so construction still going on.
@Miss Dee:Why are these "leaders" not being held accountable for ignoring court orders or is that just a formality for the judiciary with no actual meaning for said orders??
@zero_klopp:there's a big international airport northern part of meru in isiolo-meru boder. Isiolo international airport is an airport that can serve meru people because 3/4 of the airport is in meru side only the main gate is in isiolo and 1/4 of the runway and airport the biggest part is in meru and it's just a 40 minutes drive from that proposed imenti airstrip😳
@Cm_kennah:maasai mara, tsavo, amboseli all have airstrips. I wonder what is the problem now with imenti having an airstrip
@Gerro_Boss Ge:This airport is just a fourty minutes away from Isiolo International Airport. Why are they so hell bent on destroying the forest
Lidis Muriuki: I watched and my conclusion is as a nation we don't care about our future, we only think about now, and we need to find ourselves!
Kevin Khaemba: Nobody is opposed to the airstrip but why disturb and disrupt the ecosystem that has existed for all these years.
Paulina Wainaina: A nation that thinks about now and doesn't give a dumb about it's wildlife and it's future is a lost nation. Protect the wildlife for crying out loud
Odile Keane: Thank you! Keep up the campaign... this land belongs to all the people of Kenya, not to politicians.
Kathure wa Obure: It is a very important elephant corridor. Since this disturbance, there are so many elephants outside the forest, disturbing humans and destroying farms.
