The Kenya Forest Service has suspended a licence of a company allowed to harvest hardcore and rehabilitate old quarries at Ololua forest block in the Ngong Hills.
KFS acting chief conservator Monica Kalenda on Tuesday accused Hydromasters drilling company of subletting its special use licence to China Communications Construction Company Limited East Africa.
The licence does not allow mining, quarrying or logging — only harvesting hardcore and rehabilitating the quarry.
Kalenda said a lorry belonging to CCCC was impounded by rangers for illegally transporting materials during the quarrying moratorium.
CCCC is building and operating the standard gauge railway.
"Expanding the road during the moratorium is double-edged. Officers who allowed the expansion will have to answer," Kalenda said.
"I was shocked and dismayed the roads were expanded and the environment seriously destroyed without authority from the chief conservator," she said.
Huge excavations were done at the site.
Kalenda said damage by the Chinese company is "massive and it had not been reported to KFS".
"Any destruction to the environment must be reported, including cutting of trees and grass. We have not received such a report from the licencee," she said.
"I'm suspending this licence with immediate effect and legal action will be taken against those involved in destroying the environment and transferring the licence without authority from KFS."
KFS granted the special user licence in August 2014 to Kwality Rural Urban Environment Limited.
In a letter dated June 20, 2017, the company requested KFS to allow it to assign its licence rights to Hydromasters Drilling Company Limited, which KFS approved.
Hydromasters was to harvest hardcore and prepare a five-year restoration plan for the quarry covering 18.67 acres. The plan to be approved by KFW.
The licence fee for quarrying was Sh75,000 based on gazette rates.
Annual forest rent at the gazetted rate was Sh20,000 per acre for 18.67 acres, amounting to Sh373,400 per year.
The license was not transferable but could only be reassigned with written KFS approval.
The licencee was obliged to deposit Sh1 million with KFS Sh1 million as security for the fulfilment of the conditions.
The size of the Ololua forest block is 1.68 million acres.
