KWS Director General Erustus Kanga announced the relocation of the 62-year-old Nairobi Animal Orphanage (NAO) from its current 7.2-acre site at Nairobi National Park to an 89-acre plot opposite Bomas of Kenya, citing the growing number of injured, orphaned, and confiscated wild animals that have stretched the facility’s capacity. 
KWS says construction will take one and a half years at an estimated cost of KES 3 to 4 billion, and the new facility will not be privatised. 
The Real Story
This is not about animal welfare. This is about the Sh41.9 billion Bomas International Convention Centre (BICC) — a mega-project that needs Nairobi National Park land.
NEMA issued a licence on December 3, 2025, allowing KWS to convert 31 hectares (76 acres) of land currently occupied by indigenous trees inside Nairobi National Park.
Against protests by conservationists, KWS has already started clearing the trees.
The project includes a connecting bridge to the Sh41.9 billion BICC, which is itself facing queries related to alleged illegal procurement before the National Assembly.
Neither the NEMA licence nor the Environmental Impact Assessment have been made available to the public, while conservationists have accused KWS of conducting a sham public participation process.
“No EIA document was ever distributed or even mentioned during the October 2 meeting, nor was the completed EIA report shared online for public review.” 
Land Grab Angle
Friends of Nairobi National Park (FoNNaP) argues that by moving the animals, the government has created a legal Trojan horse to bypass conservation laws and turn a national heritage site into a commercial annex.
Conservationists further allege that the 9-hectare “ecological corridor” in project blueprints is misleading — rather than serving as a natural transit for wildlife, it may actually be a high-traffic walkway for visitors.
There are also rumours of a hotel being planned within the KWS complex, indicating the real agenda is commercialisation of protected land. 
Destruction Fears
Friends of Karura Forest have raised alarm over tree felling inside Nairobi National Park, alleging that the clearing of nearly 100 acres is linked to the orphanage relocation and a large parking facility for the BICC.
The area is home to lions, rhinos, Maasai giraffes, and several endangered species. 
Auditor-General’s Findings
The project continues despite being declared irregular in Auditor-General audits. 
This is a project that cannot pass basic public financial accountability — yet construction is proceeding at pace.
KWS’s Response
KWS has dismissed all concerns as “misleading, unfounded, and inflammatory,”  insisting the project is lawful.
But lawfulness under a secretly obtained NEMA licence, following a process where the EIA was never published, and in a project flagged by the Auditor-General, is no lawfulness at all.
