KFS chief conservator Alex Lemarkoko said the process has started since the document was acquired irregularly.
“The CS has directed that the title be revoked because it was acquired irregularly,” he said in a phone interview.
Lemarkoko said the institute will have to apply for the special user license from the service.
“The institute will apply for the special user license and then we will regularise the size of land that they will be occupying,” he said.
A special user license is issued by KFS after following an elaborate process that starts with the assessment of the proposed site or proposed development.
A site assessment report is presented to CCF before a site assessment summary report and recommendations are presented to the KFS board of directors for decision making.
Lemarkoko said his officers will visit the institute to determine the size of land it needs to conduct its work.
The power to revoke irregularly acquired land titles lies with the lands registrar.
Friends of Ololua say the forest covers 663 hectares (1638.31 acres).
They say the forest has 375 hectares (926.645 acres) of endemic forest, degraded (269.345 acres), eucalyptus (385.484 acres) and 24 hectares (59.3053 acres) excised for SGR, schools and roads.
Kenya Institute of Primate Research, formerly the Institute of Primate Research, is a 63-year-old premier biomedical scientific research institute that was started by Dr. LSB Leakey with the objective of studying monkey behaviour.
The move, according to the institute’s website, is meant to give insights into the behaviour of the early man.
The roles of the institute have since been expanded to include biomedical research, laboratory animal science and conservation biology.
The revocation of land titles comes days after Environment Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya declared war against individuals who have encroached on protected forests.
Tuya on Wednesday toured Ololua Forest following reports that some 50 acres of the forest land had been grabbed.
The land grabbing reports prompted the Ololua Community Forest Association, Kajiado county residents and friends of Ololua forest to stage a peaceful demonstration, which got the attention of the state.
Tuya was accompanied by Forestry PS Gitonga Mugambi, chief conservator of forests Alex Lemarkoko, Kajiado Senator Seki Lenku and Kajiado North MP Onesmus Ngogoyo.
During the tour, the CS, with the help of Kajiado residents, demolished an illegal stone wall that had been built around the forest.
Experts said, as an established conservation standard, the ministry and its partners should not build wall fences around forests and other ecosystems because of adverse impacts on biodiversity.
These walls also prevent free movement of wildlife.
The CS said all other title deeds within the protected forests will be revoked in the latest bid aimed at protecting forest resources in the country, even as efforts to grow more trees gain momentum.
KFS is the lead agency tasked with the implementation of the government's agenda of attaining 30 per cent tree cover by 2032, up from the current 12.13 per cent.
The service protects 6.4 million acres of gazetted forests and another 420 million acres under counties.
The state has mounted a massive bid to grow 15 billion trees in the next 10 years.
At least Sh600 billion trees are needed to enhance tree cover in the next 10 years.
She said her ministry will not tolerate any attempts to destroy forest resources, even as the state makes efforts to grow 15 billion trees.
“We are going to be very firm, both internally within our staff and with anybody else who goes out to interfere with our ecosystems,” Tuya said.
Tuya said entities carrying out noble initiatives inside protected forests will be given special use licenses by KFS.
Statistics from the state show that the forest cover increased from 5.9 percent in 2018 to 8.83 per cent in 2021.
The national tree cover stands at 12.13 per cent, above the constitutional target of 10 per cent.
Results generated from the National Forest Resources Assessment 2021 show that the country has 5.2 million hectares of national forest cover, which represents 8.83 percent of the total area.
