- It is alleged the private individual has encroached into the forest and hived off about three acres near the Kenya Institute of Buildings and Highway Technology.
- The suspected grabber is in the process of constructing a palatial home within the forest.
As the dust settles on President William Ruto’s concerns over the growing destruction of Kenya’s forests and environment partly due to alleged corruption among officers of the Kenya Forest Service, it is emerging that part of Kibiku forest in Ngong, Kajiado County has been grabbed and put into private use by a private individual.
It is alleged the private individual has encroached into the forest and hived off about three acres near the Kenya Institute of Buildings and Highway Technology.
The suspected grabber is in the process of constructing a palatial home within the forest.
Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission sleuths are said to have commenced investigations for the possible recovery of the three acres of forest currently in the hands of a person believed to be well-connected with corrupt land officials.
Aggrieved citizens aware of the daring fraudulent move filed a complaint at EACC triggering the probe.
This comes amid growing Government concerns that the Kenya Forest Service rangers mandated to protect Kenya’s forests have been complicit in the execution of their duties.
President Ruto on Wednesday ordered the sacking of 23 KFS managers and rangers over forest destruction, corruption, dereliction of duty and incompetence.
Sources privy to the Kibiku forest land theft have confirmed that EACC has taken up the matter intending to identify the grabber and restore the forest back to the Government.
The Commission has previously filed civil suits for recovery of public land fraudulently acquired by individuals and recommended criminal charges against the persons involved.
While speaking at Chale Island in Kwale County on Monday during a site visit to the Sh 1.2 billion land recovered by EACC, CEO Twalib Mbarak vowed that the Commission will intensify recovery of land grabbed from the public and recommend prosecution of the grabbers.
Addressing media at the recovered Kwale Island, Mbarak said that grabbers of public property have an option of approaching EACC for voluntary surrender of what they have stolen instead of waiting for the costly litigation which will in the end see the property revert to the Government by the jurisprudence developed by the Courts.
A Senior EACC official confirmed that the Commission has taken up the Kibiku matter and commenced action.