KFS explains Muthaiga Golf Club takeover amid Karura Forest dispute

The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has defended its decision to restrict access to part of the Muthaiga Golf Club course, saying the disputed section occupies land that falls within the legally gazetted Karura Forest.

The forest agency said the contested area measures approximately 21.8 hectares and forms part of a parcel identified as Land Reference Number 13134/3, which the golf club has claimed as its property.

According to KFS, historical records show that Karura Forest was surveyed in the early 1920s, with the survey registered in 1923. The forest was subsequently gazetted as a Forest Reserve in 1932 before being declared a Central Forest in 1964.

Karura Forest covers more than 1,000 hectares and is among Kenya’s protected forest areas.

The dispute became public after Muthaiga Golf Club notified its members that KFS officials had moved onto part of the golf course and restricted access to the Front Nine, specifically holes two through nine.

The club maintained that the affected section forms part of its property, while KFS insists that the area lies within the boundaries of Karura Forest.

Rather than allowing the dispute to escalate, KFS has announced plans to meet with the golf club’s management to discuss the competing claims.

The forest agency said the meeting will be held at its headquarters and will bring together the relevant parties in an effort to find an amicable solution.

KFS said the conflicting positions over ownership and boundaries made discussions necessary before the matter can be resolved.

The golf club has meanwhile kept the affected section closed to its members as the dispute continues. However, other facilities, including the driving range and parking areas, have not been affected.

The disagreement has placed renewed attention on the historical boundaries of Karura Forest and the documentation surrounding the golf club’s occupation of the disputed land.

Both sides are expected to use the planned meeting to examine the relevant ownership records and establish the status of the contested section.

Until the talks are concluded, access to holes two through nine on the Front Nine remains restricted, leaving the two institutions to negotiate over the land whose ownership and boundary status remain contested.