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The government has recovered a 3.5 acres’ land hived off Kibiku forest in Ngong, Kajiado County next to the Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology.

With an estimated value of over Sh100 million, the parcel that had been grabbed and put into private use by a private developer was in the process of being developed when the government moved to recover it.
Principal Secretary for the ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Gitonga Mugambi told journalists that the recovery was enabled through a tip off from members of the public who raised alarm after the alleged grabber began construction works.

Speaking after touring the land, Mugambi revealed that the alleged grabber is well connected to corrupt land and forestry officials, especially surveyors whom he said will be investigated and brought to book.
The land, he said, is gazetted forest and that the grabber put up a boundary inside the real forest borderline, cut down trees and begun construction works.

While sending a stern warning to forest land grabbers, Mugambi upheld that the purge against grabbers and ministry officials aiding the illegalities in the forests will continue to ensure that all gazette forest land is restored to the rightful custodians, the Kenyan government.

“Forests are a no-go zone! They are supposed to be preserved for the prosperity of the country and the use of forests must be for public good not individual enrichment,” said Mugambi.

“For such land to be grabbed, there must be some collision with government officers, especially in the ministry’s survey unit. We will go for the collaborators who will too be prosecuted,” he added.

Mugambi revealed that Kenya forestry guards have taken over the manning of the land on a 24/hour basis before the actual rehabilitation begins.