The Green Belt Movement has opposed a proposed variation of the Ngong Road Forest boundary that could regularise the occupation of 34 acres of disputed land, calling on Parliament to reject the proposal until the legality of the land’s acquisition and allocation is established.
The conservation organisation has urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the transactions involving the land and called on the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to protect the existing forest boundary while the dispute is resolved.
The disputed parcel is occupied by several residential developments, including KMA Estate, Shalom Estate, Lang’ata View Estate, Lang’ata Gardens Estate, Lang’ata Place, LA Springs, Forest View Estate and Forest Edge View Estate. It also hosts St Mary’s Hospital and St Mary’s Apartments.
The proposed boundary variation raises questions about whether public forest land can be removed from a protected area after development has taken place, particularly where the original process of excision and allocation has been challenged.
The Green Belt Movement argues that changing the boundary under these circumstances could legitimise an acquisition that has not been shown to comply with the law.
It wants the EACC to investigate the full chain of acquisition, allocation, transfer and registration to establish how the land left the forest reserve, whether the required legal procedures were followed and whether any public officers or private entities engaged in corruption, fraud or other offences.
The organisation also called on Parliament to examine historical land records, the legality of the original allocation and the environmental consequences of the proposed boundary change before making a decision.
The statement also questioned the public participation exercise held on 12 October at St Michael Catholic Church, describing it as inadequate. The organisation argued that public participation must give residents and conservation stakeholders access to relevant documents, sufficient time to scrutinise the proposal and a genuine opportunity to question its legal basis and environmental implications.
The dispute comes as Ngong Road Forest faces continued pressure from urban expansion and infrastructure development. According to the Green Belt Movement, the forest covered 7,232 acres when it was gazetted in 1932. Its area has since declined to 3,025 acres, following excisions, infrastructure projects and other developments.
The figures indicate a loss of approximately 58 per cent of the forest’s original area, leaving less than half of the land that was initially protected.
The remaining forest is an important ecological asset within Nairobi, providing green space and habitat while contributing to the environmental functions of a rapidly urbanising city. Continued loss of forest cover can reduce habitat, fragment ecosystems and weaken the capacity of urban green spaces to support biodiversity and regulate local environmental conditions.
The Green Belt Movement said the scale of the historical loss makes the protection of the remaining forest more urgent and warned against surrendering another 34 acres before the disputed land’s legal status is resolved.
The organisation also cited other development pressures, including a proposed road linking Talanta Stadium to the Bomas International Convention Centre and a proposed luxury hotel within the forest.
The Green Belt Movement wants KFS and other responsible public agencies to maintain the existing forest boundary while the dispute is examined, arguing that no action should prejudice the legal status of the land or the wider public interest.
It further urged Parliament to ensure that any decision on the proposed variation is based on credible evidence, compliance with the law and the long-term public interest rather than pressure arising from developments already established on the disputed parcel.
