Nairobi Arboretum

Nairobi Arboretum is a place holding living collection of the plants for the purpose of the scientific research, conservation, display and education (Wyse Jackson 1999). Nairobi Arboretum is a 30.4 hectares of the wooded landscape, an oasis close to the heart of the Nairobi City situated in the Kilimani area, about 3 km from the city Centre and adjacent to the state house. It is bounded by the Kirichwa Kubwa River, Arboretum Drive and Kenya Girl Guide Headquarters. Nairobi Arboretum is one of the Nairobi’s few remaining green spaces that is it has shaded walkways, picnic lawns safaris and jogging trails.

Nairobi Arboretum was established in the 1907 by Mr. Batiscombe, then the Deputy Conservator of the Forests, to try out the introduced forestry trees for Kenya.

Nairobi Arboretum
Nairobi Arboretum

lt was gazette as a national reserve in 1932 and in 1996 as a title deed issued by the Commissioner of the land designating it as a public owned reserve, it was a trial plot for the fast growing exotic tree species, to meet the high demand of the fuel wood required for the newly constructed Kenya-Uganda railway line and thus help save Kenya’s unique indigenous trees.

The Nairobi Arboretum is a great tourism attraction for a variety of the tourists during a Kenya Safari, in that it holds over 350 species of the indigenous and the exotic plants, most of which are labelled, the Nairobi Arboretum having a variety of the tree species, it is also known as a home to over 100 species of birds like African black duck, Variable sunbird, Olive thrush, Speckled mouse bird, Cinnamon-chested bee-eater, Bronze manikin, White-eyed slaty flycatcher, African harrier hawk, Grey-olive greenbul, Narina trogon, African goshawk and many more, and a significant population of the animal species like the Sykes and the Vervet monkeys and among others. The tourists can also spot the various reptiles in the Nairobi Arboretum like the Jackson’s three-horned chameleon and also the butterflies like the Golden Piper, Green-veined charaxes are common there.

Nairobi Arboretum
Nairobi Arboretum

Nairobi Arboretum is such amazing place, it is a popular recreational park for the city residents, who come looking for the tranquility, and enjoy many activities from their such as to take the long walks, hold picnics or to commune with their God, learning about trees, environmental education here prior booking is needed, resting, bird watching, butterfly watching, running, corporate events also her prior booking is needed, concerts, team building, wedding also the prior booking is needed. Large groups often go to the Nairobi Arboretum over the weekends for team-building activities and games in the central lawn at the park, while love-birds enjoy spending the romantic moments in its secluded spots. Runners also love and do the jogging around the Arboretum’s forest trails.

According to what is said, the President Uhuru Kenyatta toured the Nairobi Arboretum on the 5th June 2020, to mark the World Environment Day observed on the 5th of June every year, and it has been celebrated for the last 45 years. During the event the Nairobi Arboretum, President Kenyatta promised to expand the number and size of the conservancies, arboreta, parks and the wildlife reserves to ensure the country’s botanical and zoological diversity is maintained. ‘’We are also claiming our Ngong Forest and we are going to start the process of fencing it and ensuring that it is also available not only for the present and also for the future generations, we have done in the last one month another 2000 acre for Nairobi National Park and this is what we want to continue doing including the restoration of the various green areas among them rehabilitation of the Nairobi city,’’ the President of Kenya stated.

Nairobi Arboretum Entry Fee 2022.

At the time of this writing, they charged an entrance fee of Ksh 50 and Ksh 20 for adults and children respectively. The new fee as of January 2021 is Ksh 65 for the adults. It is the same as the park fee, while the children pay Ksh 27. This is one of the few places in Kenya that charges the same fee for the citizens, residents, foreigners. The fee can be paid at the gate only through the Mpesa or a card.

In addition to the entrance fee, the Nairobi Arboretum charges an extra Ksh 1,322 and Ksh 3,306 (updated for 2021 and 2022) for the photography and videography respectively, also you may however take pictures with your smartphones for free.

What to wear and carry.

The tourist who wants to visit the Nairobi Arboretum should carry comfortable walking shoes or trainers, drinking water, binoculars, camera, wildlife books especially for the birds and butterflies. The important things to remember when visiting Nairobi Arboretum are as the following;

Do not feed the wild animals.

Do not start fires in the forest.

Do not take a way animals, animal products, plants or their parts.

Do not mark or deface tree stems, stones and other features.

Avoid unnecessary noise as it disturbs both the neighbors and other visitors around.

Enjoy yourself, in addition to seeing, pause and listen regularly.

Take all the litter that you brought away with you.

Keep to the designated tracks and paths when walking in the forest.

Nairobi Arboretum
Nairobi Arboretum

Visiting hours.

The Nairobi Arboretum opens 365 days of the year from dawn to dusk since 1907.The visitors may enter from 6:00 am to 6: 15pm.

How to get to Nairobi Arboretum.

The Nairobi Arboretum is 3km from the Nairobi city Centre. Its proximity to the city Centre which makes it easily accessible on foot. To get to its main gate entrance, get onto the State House Road near St. Andrew’s Church, go past St Paul’s Cathedral, YMCA Nairobi Central, University of Nairobi Halls or the residence, and past the Arboretum Drive junction. At the point where State House road makes a sharp left turn, take the little road that goes straight ahead. The Nairobi Arboretum main entrance is about 300m a head .There is also a car park at the main entrance for the vehicles. Another entrance to the park is on Arboretum Drive in Kileleshwa.

The Nairobi Arboretum is such amazing it that it holds a large collection over 350 species of the indigenous and the exotic of trees, shrubs and grasses from the tropics and throughout the world. Its diverse vegetation includes a variety of the mature trees and woody shrubs. The tree inventory identified and recorded tree with trunks over a diameter of 15cm, but many small saplings and woody shrubs were not included. The collection includes a mix of both indigenous and exotic plant species originating from all parts of the world.

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