Govt Stops Developer From Building Restaurant, Golf Course In Ngong Forest
Uproar ensued on Tuesday, December 17 after it was revealed that NEMA, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), and Kenya Pipeline Company, all government agencies, had allowed the developer to build the entertainment joint within Ngong Road Forest, Nairobi County.
Marvin Chege 
Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has directed that National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Director General Mamo Boru Mamo and Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko suspend licences issued to a private developer for the construction of a leisure and entertainment joint within Ngong Forest.
Uproar ensued on Tuesday, December 17 after it was revealed that NEMA, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), and Kenya Pipeline Company, all government agencies, had allowed the developer to build the entertainment joint within Ngong Road Forest, Nairobi County.
NEMA, however, stated that it gave a conditional license because KFS and Kenya Pipeline did not oppose the project, which was to be put up on wayleave. The authority in a statement revealed that the Director General directed environmental inspectors and police unit officers to undertake urgent inspections of the proposed site and take appropriate corrective action.
The move however sparked public outrage due to concerns over encroachment on protected forest land, forcing CS Duale to take action.
Environment CS Aden Duale representing President William Ruto at the opening of the African Union Consultation on Climate Change, Peace, and Security in Kiambu on August 27, 2024. /ADEN DUALE
"My attention has this evening been drawn to a Special Use License (LIC005/2023) issued to Karura Golf Range Ltd by Kenya Forest Service (KFS) on 14th June 2023 for the development, operation and management of a golf range, restaurant and mini golf park in Ngong Road Forest, Nairobi County," he outlined in a statement.
"Also brought to my attention is an Environmental Impact Assessment (IEA) License No. NEMA/IEA/PSL/36483 issued to the aforesaid company by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on 28th November 2024."
Duale consequently tasked Lemarkoko and Boru Mamo to suspend the two licenses and prepare a detailed brief on the matter within 72 hours. "My office will provide a way forward on the matter that has attracted great public interest after the briefing by the CCF and the Director General of NEMA," Duale added.
He also announced that KFS was directed to refrain from issuing any additional special licenses and that an audit of all licenses previously issued will be conducted in due course to ensure transparency and accountability.
Nestled within the serene forest, Ngong Road Forest Section 1, a construction site was mapped for a proposed restaurant and golf club. Per an investigation report dated December 17, 2024, by NEMA, the project was under Karura Golf Range Limited, with the project representative listed as Amos Ngeno.
NEMA however stated the project has not commenced and thus there was no violation. But, in a letter dated November 28, 2024, the NEMA approved the development, stating: “This is to certify that the environmental impact assessment project received from Karura Golf Range Limited regarding the proposed restaurant and golf range within the KFS-Ngong Road Forest Station has been reviewed, and a license is hereby issued for the implementation of the project.”
Meanwhile, KFS, whose responsibility is to protect and manage state forests, has yet to clarify how the approval for the encroachment was granted. The forest conservation body was reported to have issued a special-use license on June 14, 2023, granting Karura Golfing Limited permission to develop, operate, and manage the golf range, restaurant, and mini golf park in Ngong Road Forest Station.
NEMA stated that Kenya Pipeline also approved the project, which is said to be on wayleave. This had happened against the backdrop of a seemingly growing appetite for the encroachment and exploitation of forests across the country, with the government appearing complacent.
The peaceful ambience will soon be replaced by the relentless noise of power saws and tractors working tirelessly to build commercial projects.
Days ago, a public outcry erupted over the Kenya Forest Service's approval of a 51.64-acre wayleave in Karura Forest, granted to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) for the expansion of Kiambu Road. The decision was made following the 61st Board of Directors meeting on March 26, 2024, and KFS invited KeNHA to engage in the issuance of a special-use license to facilitate the project within the forest.
This came amidst recent reports of deforestation efforts at the Karura Forest. On November 18, Friends of Karura Forest (FKF), a conservation outfit dedicated to preserving the forest, explained that the cutting down of trees was part of the forest’s restoration efforts. They noted that the restoration was being conducted in conjunction with the KFS and involved the selective cutting of trees.
FKF added that the restoration was taking place after a logging ban in 2018 caused a six-year delay. However, the government continues to face mounting pressure from environmental activists over its decision to slice pieces of the forest land.
