The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has confirmed the relocation and upgrade of the Nairobi Animal Orphanage.
In a statement on March 27, KWS said that the relocation is a carefully planned initiative aimed at improving wildlife conservation, animal welfare, education, and visitor experience.
“KWS confirms that the relocation and upgrade of the Nairobi Animal Orphanage is a carefully planned, lawful, and forward-looking initiative aimed at enhancing wildlife conservation, animal welfare, conservation education, and visitor experience,” read part of the statement.
KWS stated that the project is fully compliant with Kenya’s legal framework, guided by the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act (2013), and conducted in accordance with environmental regulations.
Further, the service added that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed and reviewed by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), which issued the EIA licence in December 2025.
Stakeholders were engaged through a workshop held on October 2, 2025, with supporting surveys informing the project.
The relocation, initially conceptualised in 2013, is intended to:
- Align with internationally recognized animal welfare standards
- Provide larger, more natural enclosures for rescued wildlife.
- Reduce congestion at the current site and improve visitor safety.
- Enhance operational efficiency in wildlife rescue, treatment, and rehabilitation.
KWS noted that the relocation aligns with its constitutional and statutory mandates to conserve wildlife for present and future generations.
The project represents a strategic investment in animal welfare, environmental sustainability, conservation education, and job creation.
KWS is relocating the Nairobi Animal Orphanage to a new site about 1.5 kilometers from its current location.
At the same time, KWS, whose core mandate is to conserve and manage Kenya’s wildlife and its habitats, said the animal orphanage is staying within the Park, although it will now be directly opposite the Bomas of Kenya, which is undergoing a total overhaul.
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KWS Relocates and Upgrades Nairobi Animal Orphanage
According to KWS, the upgraded facility will feature:
- Spacious enclosures meeting modern welfare standards
- A fully equipped veterinary and treatment unit
- A modern wildlife hospital with surgical capabilities
- Quarantine and nursery areas for rescued animals
- Designated animal release zones to support rewilding efforts
- Improved visitor amenities, including walkways, rest areas, sanitation, and controlled parking
- Sustainable waste management systems
- Outdoor learning spaces and conservation education centres
- Over 500 direct jobs, with additional opportunities for service providers
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Nairobi Animal Orphanage Set for Upgrade
KWS noted that the old orphanage site will be restored and rewilded, enhancing the ecological integrity of Nairobi National Park.
At the same time, the new facility is expected to better integrate with Nairobi’s wider tourism ecosystem, including its proximity to the Bomas International Convention Centre, thereby improving accessibility and visitor management, and strengthening Kenya’s position as a leading conservation and tourism destination.
Established in 1964, the orphanage has rescued and rehabilitated distressed wildlife for over 60 years.
However, KWS noted that the rising visitor numbers, increasing demand for wildlife rescue, and evolving international animal welfare standards have rendered the current facility within Nairobi National Park inadequate.
Public participation was a shame.
The purpoted nema license and EIA report has not been shared with the public.
That makes the entire process gross misinformation and blatant disregard of the the law
It was gazetted in the Kenya gazette. Be a frequent visitor of the government printer for such information
Reminds me of the story about the camel and the tent. Once the head is in, the rest of the body is forced in later.
No.need its just in the right place its the humans to be relocated
Could it be a similar case where a controversial ADANI did the proposal and won the tender for the lease in a shadowy process?? Kenya ina mambo. Right now Kenyans are witnessing destruction of hectares upon hectares of prime forest trees sound Bomas.