Nairobi Green Spaces

Kenya’s high population density has led to rapid urbanization. As the demand for social amenities grows, natural ecosystems are under threat as government and private investors use available public land for infrastructure development. To reclaim and protect Nairobi’s public green spaces, we needed to change the way the public saw these spaces, champion new laws and policies, and build political goodwill and insider champions.

We capitalized on the growing appreciation of green spaces in Nairobi and other Kenyan cities during the covid-19 pandemic by forming Daima Green Spaces, a coalition of over 30 organizations to sustainably advocate for the protection of public spaces within cities and communities. We first built visibility and credibility through traditional and social media and then built partnerships with government, development programs and like-minded groups.

Daima means “always” or “continually” in Kiswahili; it reflects the importance of having and maintaining public green spaces from generation to generation. The logo depicts a Kenya whose infrastructure works harmoniously with green spaces and represents a future society we want. We also created flowing illustrations to represent the city parks and what they offer in terms of activities and serenity. These creative assets brought our business collateral, website and social media presence to life. 

Daima Green Spaces ran a branded campaign to rethink, change, engage and influence new narratives of Nairobi’s green spaces. We produced 7 Daima events, developed green space policy dialogue and documented powerful visual stories. This empowered citizens to push for inclusive decision making and mobilized them to positively engage with green spaces. We helped people recognize how these spaces positively impact their well-being and supported their right to equitable access.

The campaign won a critical government commitment from the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Forestry to protect all public green spaces across the country. The president’s declaration to save the iconic fig tree on Waiyaki Way shifted public perception of trees and sparked the integration of environmental considerations into development plans. In addition, events such as Hands Off Uhuru Park and the Fig Tree March created the awareness needed to make people appreciate the value of green spaces. We also saw the following results:

Over 30 organizations joined the Daima Green Spaces coalition 

35 young green space champions identified 

Over 2M people engaged on social media 

18 media appearances across TV, radio and print, both national and international