The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has accused Muthaiga Golf Club of illegally occupying part of Karura Forest, saying there is no evidence in its records to prove that the club has a legal right to occupy the gazetted forest land.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, KFS said Karura Forest covers approximately 1,044.1 hectares and was gazetted as a forest reserve through Proclamation No. 44 of 1932.
The Service said Karura was later declared a Central Forest, alongside other state forests gazetted before independence, through Legal Notice No. 174 of May 20, 1964.
KFS said historical correspondence between the then Forest Department and the Commissioner of Lands documented the process through which land was surveyed and leased for the establishment of the golf club.
According to the Service, a plan showing the extent of land leased to the club was issued in 1966, after which construction of the golf course commenced following a survey.
The forest agency also cited correspondence from 1974 in which the Chief Conservator of Forests wrote to the club confirming a proposed alteration of the golf course boundary.
The alteration would have allowed the golf course to extend further north, KFS said.
The Service said the legal framework governing the club's occupation changed following the enactment of the Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2007.
KFS said the club was invited to apply for a Forest Special Use License but did not honour the request.
"In 2021, the Club was again invited to discuss the illegal occupation of Karura Forest Reserve, during which the Golf Club representatives claimed to hold a title deed," KFS said.
However, the Service said its records do not contain evidence proving the club's legal occupation of the forest reserve.
"There is no evidence of record to the effect proving legal occupation of the forest by the Club," the statement said.
KFS said historical correspondence in its possession showed that the club had previously acknowledged occupying land within the gazetted forest.
The agency said the club's recent claim of ownership could therefore raise questions over the status of public land.
"Historically, the Club has acknowledged through various correspondences in our possession, their occupation of a gazetted forest land and the recent claims of ownership may imply grabbing of public land by private interest," KFS said.
The Service did not provide details of the alleged title deed or explain whether it had undertaken a legal process to challenge the document.
KFS instead called for formal engagement with the club to address what it described as illegalities surrounding the occupation.
"There is need for the Club to address the illegalities through formal engagement with Kenya Forest Service, in line with the Forest Conservation and Management Act," the agency said.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of growing public attention on the protection and management of public forests in Nairobi.
Karura Forest is one of the capital's major urban forests and is managed as a gazetted forest reserve. KFS said further enquiries on the matter could be directed to the Service through its official communication channels.