Environment CS Deborah Barasa was on Thursday put to task by MPs over a controversial move to construct a luxury hotel deep inside Ngong Forest.
Lawmakers demanded answers on how approvals were granted for the multimillion-shilling project, which they claim threatens biodiversity and undermines environmental protection laws.
In a session before the National Assembly’s committee on Environment, the MPs asked how Konyon Company Limited was awarded the contract to construct the ultra-modern Glamping Eco-Lodge and Wellness Retreat.
The lawmakers also questioned the government’s seriousness in realising the 15 billion trees commitment with such moves.
Chairperson Vincent Musau (Mwala) said the development is a deviation from the initial plan by Green Belt to put walkways and other amenities that were eco-friendly.
“We want to make an official visit there so that we can know how much public land you have given and the extent to which the facility has interfered with the forest cover,” Musau said.
The committee also demanded assurance on whether public participation was conducted before the project started.
The Musau-led team also wants Barasa to furnish the committee with proof of Environmental Impact Assessment, accusing the CS of dragging her feet in supplying the documents one year since the facility was put up.
Bura MP Yakub Adow sought to know the extent to which public participation was done even as he insisted on the need for the committee to tour the facility.
“The issue came about because of lack of public participation. We can see from your document that the request to set up the facility was done in November 2024, but the licence was issued in January this year. We would like to know why it took long before you carried out public participation,” Adow said.
Kacheliba MP Titus Lotee sought to know whether there was political influence in awarding the contract to Konyon.
“We would have thought that the first indicator is to plant more trees in the forest, but clearly, we can see you are the one giving out the same forest to put up lodges. CS, please tell us, was this land given out for this facility because it belongs to a well-connected person?” Lotee posed.
Kericho Woman Representative Beatrice Kemei, also contributing to the matter, demanded an explanation of whether the procedure was followed in awarding the contract.
Turkana Central MP Joseph Namwara, while backing his colleagues, told the CS to furnish the committee with evidence of an environmental assessment report.
“Madam CS, you have come to this committee in a very bad way because your relationship with this committee has been very negative and that is why we have summoned you,” Namwara told Barasa.
Njoro MP Charity Kathambi added, “Why don’t you have any other land you can put up the lodges in? We are pretending to plant 15 billion trees and we are destroying our cover. This is an insult to this country.”
In her response, Barasa said Konyon got the contract as it had also sent a Special Use Licence application to put up a Unique Glamping Eco-lodge and Wellness Retreat.
“Following the board approval, the service negotiated the conditions necessary for issuing a Special User Licence (SUL) with the proponent. The processing of a Special Use Licence for the Construction of a Unique Glamping Eco-lodge and Wellness Retreat in Ngong Road Forest was done. A conditional SUL was issued on February 12, after all fees and charges were fully settled,” she explained.
The CS clarified that construction of the hotel had been suspended, explaining that Green Kids’ Museum of Kenya, under the Green Belt Movement, did not get the contract to put up a children’s museum as it did not pay prerequisite fees and charges for the issuance of a SUL.
Instant Analysis
Environmentalists had challenged the green light given to Karura Golf Range Limited, warning that such developments pose a serious threat to Nairobi’s dwindling urban green spaces.
