The government has stopped the construction of a hotel inside Ngong Forest to allow for more engagement with various stakeholders following a public uproar over the development.
Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Deborah Barasa told the National Assembly Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining that the ministry has suspended a special licence that was issued to Konyon Company Ltd to construct the hotel.
“The conditional user licence previously issued was suspended to allow for an independent review and broader stakeholder consultation,” Dr Barasa told the lawmakers.
“We are confident that the ongoing measures—specifically, the suspension of construction pending further consultation and a comprehensive audit—underscore our dedication to both environmental conservation and responsible ecotourism,” added the Cabinet Secretary.
The development came even as MPs questioned how Konyon Company bagged the rights to construct in the forest despite the various environmental concerns raised by stakeholders.
Construction site of a luxury camping facility hotel in Ngong Road Forest, Nairobi, pictured on May 27, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation
It also emerged during the deliberation that in 2022, the Green Belt Movement (GBM) had applied to the Kenya Forest Service (which manages the forest) to establish a site for a children's museum comprising an exhibition pavilion, walkways, picnic areas, a café, and a museum shop.
Documents tabled before the committee by Dr Barasa indicate that on March 8, 2022, the board of the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) approved the request by the Green Belt Movement.
However, the proponent did not pay the prerequisite fees and charges for the issuance of a Special Use Licence and hence could not proceed with its intended plan.
Two years later, in November 2024, the Kenya Forest Service received a Special Use Licence application request from Konyon Company Limited seeking to develop a unique glamping eco-lodge and wellness retreat.
According to Ms Barasa, the Kenya Forest Service conducted an appraisal of the area where the company intended to construct the hotel and noted that it was covered with grass, scattered bushes, and shrubs.
Construction site of a luxury camping facility hotel in Ngong Road Forest, Nairobi, pictured on May 27, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation
Further, KFS, according to the documents, granted the request by Konyon Company because the site was found not to be a water catchment area or a water source. It also had no endangered species, cultural, or scientific attributes, and the materials that the company intended to use were deemed eco-friendly, hence would have minimal impact on the environment.
On January 21, 2025, the board reviewed and approved the request during a meeting held at the Kenya Forest Service headquarters. A conditional Special User Licence (SUL) was issued on February 12, 2025.
However, on May 15, 2025, members of the public, the Green Belt Movement (GBM), and other institutions voiced concerns on social media over alleged encroachment into Ngong Forest for the proposed hotel construction, citing potential threats to the area's flora and fauna.
Dr Barasa, who was accompanied by PS Gitonga Mugambi, told the committee that the construction has since been suspended to allow for auditing of the process to ensure compliance with applicable laws.
Construction site of a luxury camping facility hotel in Ngong Road Forest, Nairobi, pictured on May 27, 2025.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation
Mr Mugambi, while defending the construction of the hotel in the forest, said it was being done in areas with minimal trees, terming it a normal practice in many forests.
“We target the areas without trees because we also need to create jobs for our people,” Mr Mugambi said.
The lawmakers, however, raised concern over why the request by the Green Belt Movement was rejected by KFS, yet there is no evidence that Konyon Company Ltd paid the charges for the issuance of a Special Use Licence.
“Our forests have been attacked by people who are well-connected. The reason that Konyon Company was given the licence is that the area doesn’t have trees—but that doesn’t arise, because even shrubs are part of the forest,” said Kacheliba MP Titus Lotee.
Turkana Central MP Joseph Emathe demanded evidence from the ministry showing that Konyon Company paid for the issuance of a Special Use Licence.
Mr Emathe said the company ignored environmental impact assessment reports and other concerns raised by various stakeholders, raising questions about why the construction was allowed to continue.
Njoro MP Charity Kathambi expressed concern that the country has now shifted from planting trees to building hotels in forests.
“We owe it to the coming generation—the Gen Zs—that we need to conserve our forests. But it is sad that we are now not planting trees, we are building hotels,” Ms Kathambi said.
The committee chairman, Vincent Musyoka, said the committee resolved to physically visit the forest next week to check the environmental impact posed by the construction of the hotel.
“This is something that we cannot do from the comfort of our offices. We will visit the forest and other forests to see what activities are taking place and to what extent they are affecting the forest,” Mr Musyoka said.
Bura MP Yakub Adow said the committee will make its recommendations after visiting the forest and determining the extent of the environmental damage.
“One thing you cannot ignore under this 2010 Constitution is public participation. The people must be involved and their views taken into account,” Mr Adow said.
