Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Adani deal whistleblower Nelson Amenya has released yet another dossier, this time detailing the circumstances surrounding the controversial construction of eco camps within the Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary.
Amenya alleged that the wife of a senior United Democratic Alliance (UDA) MP is behind the forest development project, which has sparked outrage among Kenyans.
According to the whistleblower, the annexed forest land was being repurposed to build hotels aimed at accommodating guests during the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Amenya, known for his strong stance against opaque and exploitative developments, called on Kenyans to demand accountability and resist what he termed blatant impunity.
''These people must be held accountable at some point. We cannot go on like this. It’s too much,'' Amenya stated.
The revelations come just after the Green Belt Movement (GBM) raised fresh concerns over the government’s approval of eco camp and hotel projects in the Ngong Road Forest. This followed the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) publicly naming the investor licensed to undertake the construction after halting the process.
GBM revealed that the principle of public participation, as enshrined in the Constitution, was blatantly disregarded. Shockingly, the developer also failed to attend the public consultation meeting altogether, raising serious concerns about transparency and stakeholder engagement.
More damning was an admission by the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) consultant, who confirmed that construction had already begun without the necessary licences from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
This, GBM argued, was a breach of the Environmental Management and Coordination Act, rendering the project both illegitimate and ecologically reckless.
The movement also criticised the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) management for appearing to exploit provisions under Early Entry Permits without sufficient legal justification.
"Alarmingly, it appears that KFS is exploiting provisions under Early Entry Permits, a mechanism intended strictly for low-impact, preliminary assessments, to greenlight large-scale development activities without adequate oversight or legal justification. This misuse of regulatory loopholes to facilitate commercial interests in protected forests is an affront to the very principles of sustainable forest management," the Green Belt Movement (GBM) stated.
The movement further disclosed that it had yet to receive any formal response from KFS regarding critical information it had requested on the legality, process, and ecological implications of the development.
"As custodians of Kenya's forests and heirs to the legacy of Prof. Wangari Maathai, the Green Belt Movement will not stand by as forests are sacrificed at the altar of private greed. We are now strongly considering legal action to halt this development and protect Ngong Road Forest from irreversible degradation," GBM added.
