The National Assembly committee on Environment warned Dr Barasa against handling the matter casually, saying questions had been raised about the project on public land.
The committee on Tuesday directed the ministry to immediately stop works in the forest until Kenyans are told who the private developer is and how he acquired the public land.
Baringo South MP Charles Kamuren, who is the vice chairperson of the committee, warned that Dr Barasa should not take parliament for granted over the matter.
“If you want to compare parliament and a Cabinet Secretary, then just know that it's you (CS) who will go,” Mr Kamuren said.
“These are the people that are letting President William Ruto down in his quest to plant trees and as a UDA MP, I will not allow it,” he added.
Construction site of a luxury camping facility hotel in Ngong Road Forest, Nairobi, pictured on May 27, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation
The committee was irked after, for the third time, the ministry failed to appear before it to shed light on the ongoing construction of the hotel.
“This committee has written several letters to this ministry. The last time, we expected the ministry officials in Mombasa, but they never came. Today, we are being told the PS concerned is out of the country,” Mr Kamuren said.
The lawmakers want answers on how the private developer putting up the hotel acquired the rights to put up such a facility on public land.
The committee also wants the Ministry of Land to give the country a status update on whether the forest has ceased to be a public facility so that other Kenyans can also occupy it.
In addition, the committee is also demanding to know whether public participation was done before the start of the ongoing works.
Construction site of a luxury camping facility hotel in Ngong Road Forest, Nairobi, pictured on May 27, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation
Until all these questions are answered by the ministry on Thursday next week, the committee said no work should continue at the forest.
“This committee has stopped all the activities in Ngong forest until the CS and PS Mugambi appear before us next Thursday and tell us who the person is building a hotel on public land,” Mr Kamuren said.
“Until we know the truth, no work should go on there. We are aware that there was even no public participation before the construction began. This forest is a public property and we are wondering how an individual got authority to build a hotel there,” he added.
The committee had scheduled a meeting with the Forestry PS over the ongoing construction in the forest but he failed to show up.
Construction site of a luxury camping facility hotel in Ngong Road Forest, Nairobi, pictured on May 27, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation
Dr Barasa in a letter to the Clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge told the committee that the PS is out of the country hence could not attend the meeting.
“I wish to inform you that the Principal Secretary, State department for forestry will not be available for the meeting as he is out of the country from June1 to June 11, 2025. Due to the importance of this engagement, we are proposing that the committee considers postponing the meeting with the ministry to the following week preferably June 18, 2025,” reads the letter.
Kacheliba MP Titus Lotee said the committee will also write to the Ministry of Lands to tell us the status of the land and whether there was change of ownership.
Construction site of a luxury camping facility hotel in Ngong Road Forest, Nairobi, pictured on May 27, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation
“The PS should stop the construction of the hotel until he clears the air on who is the owner because it is in public domain that the forest belongs to the public,” Mr Lotee said.
“I want this ministry to tell Kenyans who is this person who is above the law that is allowed to build a hotel in public land,” he added.
Mr Lotee questioned why the law is being applied selectively as in Mau, ordinary Kenyans were kicked out and some lost property while in Ngong, another is allowed to construct a hotel.
Mr Kamuren no amount of running away from the committee will save the ministry from telling Kenyans the face behind the hotel.
“As parliament, we don’t fear anyone, the PS can run but we will catch up with him,” Mr Kamuren said.
The construction of the luxurious hotel inside the forest started without the required approvals from the National Environment Management Authority (Nema).
Apart from the lawmakers, environmentalists have also raised an alarm on how a private developer was allowed to construct a hotel deep in the forest.
