Nairobi, Kenya —

Greenpeace Africa participated in the public stakeholders meeting convened by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) on 27th May 2025, regarding the controversial construction of a luxury eco-lodge in Ngong Road Forest. We attended this forum with a clear purpose: to demand transparency, accountability, and the protection of Kenya’s forests from commercial exploitation disguised as development.

What unfolded during this meeting was deeply troubling and confirms many of our concerns:

  • KFS admitted that no public participation was conducted before the project began. Kenyan law mandates full public involvement before approving major forest or land-use projects. Both the Constitution (Article 69(1)(d)) and the Forest Conservation & Management Act (2016) emphasize public participation as a fundamental principle. 
  • The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) consultant admitted that no public participation was carried out and that the process proceeded without securing a valid license from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA). Under  the Environmental Management and Coordination and Management Act (EMCA), project proponents must submit a report to NEMA before commencing work and the law explicitly prohibits project implementation without an approved EIA. Moreover, no other agency may issue permits without a valid NEMA license. 
  • KFS stated that they issued Early Entry Permits to the developer which are special permits that allow individuals or entities to access and begin certain activities on forest land before completing all legal and regulatory requirements. This is not only irregular but also directly contravenes provisions under the Environmental Management and Coordination and Management Act, the Forest Conservation Act and Kenya’s Constitution, all of which mandate prior environmental clearance and public participation before any development on public forest land.
  • Konyon Ltd, the private developer behind the eco-lodge, failed to show up to the meeting. Attempts to get answers from their consultants and KFS were futile, underscoring the opaque and unaccountable nature of this entire process.
  • Efforts by some Community Forest Association (CFA) officials to suggest that the public should accept that the project was a done deal, by stating that, “the investor will not go away”, were met with strong resistance from stakeholders, reaffirming that the public will not accept backdoor deals that put forest land at risk.

Greenpeace Africa condemns the continued commodification and destruction of Kenya’s forests under the pretense of development. Forests are not for sale. They are public commons and important ecosystems that must be preserved for present and future generations.

We are calling for:

  • An immediate halt to the Ngong Road Forest eco-lodge project.
  • A full, independent investigation of the approval process and any breaches of law..
  • The reinstatement and protection of all forest land already altered and threatened by this project.
  • Accountability for all individuals and institutions who bypassed due process..

This is not just about Ngong Road Forest, this is about defending every inch of public forest land across the country from the growing greed and political interference threatening our environmental future. 

We stand in full solidarity with the Green Belt Movement and commend them for bringing this issue to the forefront of national discourse. Their vigilance has been instrumental in exposing the disturbing realities behind this project. Greenpeace Africa is proud to stand with them in the ongoing fight to defend and protect Kenya’s forests.

We invite members of the public to join us by signing and sharing our petition demanding an end to the destruction of Kenya’s forests and demanding strict protection for all gazetted and community forest areas.

ENDS

For media inquiries, please contact:

Sherie Gakii, Communications and Storytelling Manager, Greenpeace Africa, [email protected], +254702776749

Greenpeace Africa Press Desk, [email protected]