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Nairobi residents may soon have new burial grounds if negotiations between Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) and Kenya Forest Service to replace the already full Lang’ata cemetery are successful.

NMS Director-General Mohammed Badi said he had also engaged the Ministry of Environment in the talks to establish if  the land next to Langata cemetery can be acquired by city agency.

 The NMs boss said the 67-acre KFS land was the most suitable, noting that an alternative plot, which he did not disclose its location is far away from Nairobi.

 “The alternative was a bit far away and found it inconveniencing to have Nairobi residents travel many kilometres to bury their kin,” he said.

Cemetery full

Badi said money to buy the land has already been set-a side. That would, however, be determined by the outcome of the negotiations.

 “ They are doing their best and mostly they don’t negotiate when it comes to cutting down trees to create bare land.

Kenya Forest Service has their targets on the number of trees to plant within their land, so the 10 per cent green cover is the biggest headache to achieve,” Badi explained.

Badi said NMS would also ensure that they plant trees before they swap land with KFS. 

Plans to acquire new cemetery land started in 2009 where the defunct Nairobi City Council lost Sh283 million in a 48.5-acre land deal in Mavoko. The actual value of the property was Sh24 million.

 In 2019, City Hall said Nairobi residents with no rural homes may be forced to cremate their loved ones since Lang’ata cemetery was full and the county was yet to ac