The Waiyaki Way fig tree in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

is noted for its cultural significance. Locally known as ''mugumo'', the tree is described to be four-storeys tall and is believed to be at least a century old. In October 2020, the

Kenya National Highways Authority The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) is an autonomous road agency. Its responsibility is for the management, development, rehabilitation, and maintenance of Class S, A and B roads as explained below. Location The headquarters of KeNHA a ...

announced plans to transplant the tree to give way to the construction of the

Nairobi Expressway The Nairobi Expressway is a toll road in Kenya, connecting Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Nairobi's Westlands area, that has been constructed under a public-private partnership between the government of Kenya and China Road and Brid ...

, a four-lane highway funded by the government of China. This led to a campaign by environmentalists in a bid to keep the tree in its current location unscathed. Kenyan President

Uhuru Kenyatta Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. Kenyatta was chosen by Daniel Arap Moi as his preferred successor, but Kenyatta was defeated by opposition le ...

heeded the calls and issued a decree guaranteeing the protection of the tree. The tree will be adopted by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services and the highway project will be rerouted. The fig tree is considered sacred by the

Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language. It may also refer to: * Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya *Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people *Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Cent ...

. ''Mugumo'' trees, including the Waiyaki Way tree, are traditionally used as shrines or places of worship. Cutting down ''mugumo'' trees is taboo in Kikuyu culture. During droughts, prayers are often made at the base of the tree to encourage rain. In May 2021, the iconic fig tree along Waiyaki Way, which was saved from being uprooted to clear the way for construction of Nairobi Expressway, began bein
used to hold government meetings and other public events

References

{{reflist Individual fig trees Individual trees in Kenya Nairobi Trees in religion