Public Statement by The Green Belt Movement on why Ngong Road Forest must not loose Public Land through a Boundary Variation
12 October 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PUBLIC STATEMENT ON WHY NGONG ROAD FOREST MUST NOT LOSE PUBLIC LAND THROUGH A BOUNDARY VARIATION
The Green Belt Movement (GBM) strongly opposes any attempt to vary the boundary of Ngong Road Forest to regularise the occupation of the disputed 34 acres on which KMA Estate, Shalom Estate, Lang’ata View Estate, Lang’ata Gardens Estate, Lang’ata Place, LA Springs, Forest View Estate, St Mary’s Hospital, St. Mary’s Apartments and Forest Edge View Estate are located. We call on Parliament to reject any proposal that would remove public forest land without establishing its legality, on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the circumstances of its acquisition and on the Kenya Forest Service and other responsible agencies to protect the existing forest boundary.
We are particularly concerned about the sham public participation exercise held on 12 October 2026 at St. Michael Catholic Church. Public participation is a constitutional safeguard, not a procedural formality. The public must have access to relevant records, sufficient time to examine the proposal and a genuine opportunity to question its legal basis and environmental implications. A meeting or collection of tick-box responses does not, by itself, demonstrate meaningful public participation.
A National Assembly committee report on the Lang’ata land petition found that the statutory process for declaring forest land to cease to be forest had not been followed for the disputed 34 acres. The committee recommended compliance with the law, further action under Section 34 of the Forest Conservation and Management Act, negotiations towards an amicable solution and investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations into the excision and allocation of the land. These findings raise serious questions that must be resolved through evidence and lawful processes. They should not, however, be presented as a final judicial determination of every current owner’s legal position or individual culpability.
Ngong Road Forest is an important public ecological asset in Nairobi that continues to face mounting threats. When it was first gazetted in 1932, the forest covered 2,926.6 hectares (approximately 7,232 acres). Today, its area has declined to 1,224.4 hectares (approximately 3,020 acres) due to excisions, infrastructure projects and other developments. This loss makes the protection of every remaining acre even more urgent. The forest continues to face further threats, including a proposal to excise part of it for a road connecting Talanta Stadium to the Bomas International Convention Centre, as well as the proposed construction of a luxury hotel within the forest. The Green Belt Movement has been actively involved in challenging these threats in court to safeguard the forest’s integrity.
We therefore, cannot afford to lose another 34 acres. At a time when Ngong Road Forest has already lost a substantial portion of its original area, any further loss of public forest land must be firmly resisted. The proposed boundary variation must not become another avenue for diminishing this vital ecological asset. We must protect what remains of Ngong Road Forest for present and future generations.
GBM calls on EACC, working with other competent agencies where necessary, to investigate the acquisition, allocation, transfer and registration of the disputed 34 acres. The investigation must establish how the land left the forest reserve, whether the applicable legal procedures were followed, which public officers and private entities were involved and whether corruption, fraud or other offences occurred. The full chain of transactions must be examined and where wrongdoing is established, the responsible authorities must take appropriate action in accordance with the law. This process must be thorough, independent, fair and concluded without undue delay.
Section 34 of the Forest Conservation and Management Act provides a legal framework for petitions to vary public forest boundaries. Its requirements, including environmental considerations and public consultation, must be followed in substance. We urge the National Assembly to examine the historical records, the committee’s findings, the legality of the original allocation, the environmental consequences and the wider public interest before making any decision. Parliament must not be used to legitimise a questionable acquisition simply because development has already taken place. Any proposed boundary variation must be assessed against the law, credible evidence and the need to safeguard the forest for present and future generations.
We further call on the Kenya Forest Service and other responsible public agencies to protect the existing forest boundary while the dispute is examined and ensure that no action prejudices the legal status of the land or the public interest. Public participation must be transparent and meaningful, with relevant documents accessible, objections accurately recorded and the concerns of Nairobi residents and conservation stakeholders genuinely considered.
This matter concerns far more than 34 acres. It concerns whether public forests are protected by law or whether their boundaries can be changed after disputed allocations and development create pressure for regularisation. Permitting such an outcome would undermine the integrity of public land protection and set a dangerous precedent for forests across Kenya. The disputed land must be returned to Ngong Road Forest, its acquisition fully investigated and any decision on the proposed boundary variation guided by the law, credible evidence and the public interest.
The Green Belt Movement will take all lawful and necessary action to protect public forests and green spaces, including Ngong Road Forest, against any threat to their integrity. We will not stand by while public forest land is put at risk through decisions that undermine the law and the public interest. A forest boundary is not a bargaining chip. Parliament must protect the integrity of Ngong Road Forest, not legitimise a questionable allocation through a boundary variation.
The End
communication@greenbeltmovement.org | www.greenbeltmovement.org
