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Two members of civil society were attacked and wounded by goons hired by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa last Saturday when they visited Kibagare wetland where PCEA has begun construction of luxury apartments. Now civil society wants the PCEA leadership to stop the destruction of the wetland

14 July 2014

To:

Rt. Rev David Gathanju
Moderator PCEA
Jitegemea House,Muhoho Avenue, South 'C'
PO Box 27573, Nairobi-00506,
Tel: 254-020-6003608/6008848
Mobile: 0722-205051, 0734-333040
Fax: 254-020-6009102, E-mail: [email][email protected]

Dear Sir/Madam

RE: STOP DESTRUCTION OF THE KIBAGARE WETLAND

For years, renowned Kenyan environmental activist and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner, the late Professor Wangari Maathai, fought to protect over 10 acres of wetland on Lower Kabete Road/Peponi Road [in Nairobi].

Kibagare wetland is an ecological haven for numerous tree, plant and bird species, as well as a source of income for an estimated 300 plant and pot sellers and other people who have been working in the area for over 15 years.

It has come to our attention that the piece of land was allocated to the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) by the Kenyan government in compensation for land the church had lost elsewhere.

Note that your action is against the Environmental Ministries of the Presbyterian Mission whose intention is to work to inspire and equip all congregations and presbyteries including the PCEA to work for Ecological Justice for all of God's earth.

Other functions of the ministry include:

To produce, promote and distribute faith-based environmental resources for individuals, congregations and presbyteries

To link Presbyterians to resources on issues such as water, climate change, fracking, and even eco-justice worship

To oversee the Earth Care Congregations program, which encourages Presbyterian churches PCEA included to care for God’s earth and certifies those that have affirmed the Earth Care Pledge and taken holistic actions in earth care in the fields of worship, education, facilities and outreach

To establish an Eco-Justice network dedicated to environmental wholeness with social justice, seeking to be a prophetic voice for substantive change in the church and in the world among others.

This therefore means that the action of PCEA does not only contravene the Kenyan law but also the tenets to which PCEA subscribes to hence this petition to PCEA to drop the planned construction of luxury apartments at the Kibagare Wetland as it shall lead to wanton destruction of biodiversity.

We therefore advise that PCEA STOPS with immediate effect the planned construction of the luxury apartments as this is bad PR to the PCEA especially given the fact that we have informed all the Presbyterian Networks across the globe.

We are open to discussing this issue in a constructive way, should you wish to get in touch with us.

We look forward to your response

Sincerely,

Karanja Njoroge
Centre for Environmental Action
144 Mimosa View, P.O. Box 63170-00619
Nairobi, Kenya.
Phone: 254 729030301 / 721527983
E-mail: [email][email protected]
Website: www.cea.co.ke

David C. Otieno
Convener
Coalition for Constitution Implementation
+254 708 566012
[email][email protected]
Twitter: @cidioti
www.ccikenya.net

Zahra Moloo
Journalist | Producer
Nairobi, Kenya
+(254) 724 568 164
zahra-moloo.com

And Members of Civil Society in Nairobi