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Ondiri Wetland (sometimes ũndirĩ Swamp[1]) is a protected wetland and peatbog that is the source of the Nairobi River near Kikuyu, Kenya in Kiambu County.[2] It was formerly known as ‘Kihenia’ (meaning shiny surface). However white settlers renamed it ‘Old Lake’, which was later pronounced as“Ondiri”.[3]
The wetland is under pressure because of water extraction, deforestation and accelerated erosion.[1][4] Listed in 2021, the project's conservation is part of a larger initiative by the Kenyan government to reduce pollution to major waterways that provide water supply to Nairobi as part of the Thwake Dam project.[5][6][7] The waterway is also important for local greenhouse agriculture.[5] Ondiri Wetland covers 3,713,549 square feet and is a source to 40 springs, which provide water to the local community.[8]
Ondiri was heavily polluted with pesticides and dumping. In 2004, a study found as few as 41 bird species.[9] Around 2020, there were 76 species of birds living in Ondiri. In 2016, the Friends of Ondiri Wetland Kenya (FOWK) was established to rehabilitate and protect the bog; they run awareness campaigns, plant trees, and hold community events.[10] [11] There are now 76 species of birds in the wetland,[12] compared to a 2004 assessment of 44 species.[13]
Kenya's 2022 national celebration of World Wetland Day was held in Ondiri to highlight the importance of the country's largest highland bog.[8]
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