The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has refuted reports circulating online claiming that construction has resumed at the Ngong Road Forest block.
In a statement, KFS termed the allegations false and malicious, stressing that no construction activities are currently underway at the site where an eco-tourism project had earlier been halted.
“The information being shared online suggesting the resumption of construction of the eco-tourism site is completely false and made in bad faith. The Service confirms that no construction is taking place at the location,” the statement read.
KFS further clarified that only its forest rangers are deployed at the site for security and protection, dismissing claims of the presence of other security agencies.
The agency urged the public to verify information directly through its official channels regarding activities in gazetted forests.
The clarification follows mounting concerns from environmental groups and local residents about possible encroachment into Nairobi’s green spaces. In May 2025, KFS suspended the construction of a proposed luxury eco-camp in Ngong Forest after public outcry, pending further consultation.
At the time, KFS explained that the project — planned within the Sanctuary Block — had gone through an extensive approval process and met all legal environmental requirements. It emphasized that the development site is a natural glade with grass and bushes but no trees, and that the facility would consist of tents on semi-permanent structures rather than a luxury hotel as reported online.
The Service also noted that the eco-camp was in line with the Ngong Road Forest Green Master Plan, a framework adopted after wide stakeholder engagement and public participation.
The controversy was further stoked by claims from the Greenbelt Movement, which alleged in a viral letter that a luxury hotel was being erected inside the forest. KFS countered that the uproar was being fueled by a disgruntled member of the Ngong Road Forest Association — its co-management partner — who was earlier denied approval to build a separate project at the same site.
