The government, through the Chief Conservator of Forests, has bowed to public pressure and suspended the planned construction of an eco-camp within Ngong Road Forest.
The move followed widespread concerns raised on social media, prompting the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to admit that it had granted permission for the project.
However, KFS clarified that the proposed site was a natural glade — an open area within the forest with grass and bushes, not trees — and therefore no tree felling had occurred.
''Kenya Forest Service wishes to clarify that the site in question is a glade, which is a natural opening within a forest that typically has no trees, only bushes and grass. Hence, during the development of this eco-camp, no trees have been cleared," the agency stated.
According to the KFS, the contested site where the eco-camp was being developed is designated as an ecotourism zone in the Ngong Road Forest Green Master Plan. KFS stated that the plan was developed, validated, and adopted through extensive stakeholder engagement and public participation.
The agency further clarified that the bush eco-camp project was approved through a procedural process, having undergone environmental assessment with no significant negative impacts identified.
KFS added that it issued a Special Use License in line with the law, which permits non-extractive use of natural forests as outlined in the Forest Participation Regulations. The approval was also guided by Legal Notice No. 21 of 2016, including applicable charges.
In a twist of events, the KFS raised concerns over what it termed as potential blackmail by civil society groups and a developer who had previously applied to establish a Green Kids Museum on the same site earmarked for the eco-camp.
KFS revealed that the applicant was unable to proceed with the museum project after failing to meet the financial requirements for a Special Use License. The agency claims the developer then resorted to alternative means to achieve other unspecified objectives.
''This same person, in collaboration with other members of a known Civil Society, has created the misinformation that is currently circulating concerning the development of the eco-camp. There is a clear bias, and the public is advised to seek clarification from the Kenya Forest Service regarding any information about gazetted forests," it added.
To address the matter, KFS announced plans to convene a roundtable discussion with all stakeholders to resolve the concerns raised. In the meantime, all activities related to the development of the eco-camp remain suspended.
In response, the Green Belt Movement, a civil society organisation focused on conservation, demanded full transparency over the eco-camp project within Ngong Road Forest. The group raised concerns about the lack of clarity surrounding the project and posed a series of critical questions, including the identity of the private developer, how access and permits to a protected forest were granted, and whether public participation was conducted in accordance with the law.
Additionally, they questioned the existence of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and whether any part of the forest had been secretly excised.
The organisation emphasised that until these concerns are addressed openly and satisfactorily, the threat to the forest’s protection and integrity remains unresolved.
