Sh25m Kompass Bistro hotel may be demolished

Kompass Bistro, a tourist lodge on Ngong Hills, on October 16. [David Gichuru, Standard]

A Sh25 million hotel on Ngong Hills faces demolition following claims it was not approved by the county government.

On Tuesday last week, there was an alert circulating on social media that Kajiado governor Joseph ole Lenku had sent a team to demolish Kompass Bistro that is owned by businessman Joseph Muchina. 

The eco-lodge, which sits on the scenic Ngong Hills, overlooking Ngong Town and Ngong Forest, is built with wood and metal. It offers facilities for conferencing, hiking, bicycle rides and team building among others. It also offers a panoramic view of the great Rift Valley.

An eco-lodge is a type of tourist accommodation designed to have the minimum possible impact on the natural environment in which it is situated.

The Oscar winning film, Out of Africa, saw Ngong Hills voted the world's most romantic movie locations by travel deals website Travelzoo, according to a list released in 2014 and reported by CNN.

The movie depicted stunning scenes from Kenya in the 1986 production that starred Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.

The hotel is inside Kenya Forest Service (KFS) gazetted land that also hosts KenGen wind power pipes and media houses transmission equipment.

County officers

Mr Muchina said the demolition rumours and phone calls he got that county government officers would visit the hotel caught him off-guard. "I went through the right procedures and fulfilled all the requirements before establishing the hotel seven months ago," said Muchina.

He added: "I overheard that the governor had met officers from the planning department over the hotel. I was told he was to send the officers to inspect the hotel and establish if it should be demolished."

Muchina said he applied after KFS advertised the tender to establish an eco-lodge in local dailies. He said he was given a 25-year lease after winning the tender to operate the hotel.

"A surveyor from KFS assessed the place and gave me the permit. The county government later approved the project. That is why I am surprised that there are plans to demolish the lodge,” Muchina told The Standard.

He said the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) also approved the project, after which he did the plan, which was approved by the county government. "I asked KFS for permission to put up a temporary structure before a modern, permanent one, which was granted."

"I even met members of the community, who lauded the project. The hotel has employed 18 people with 70 per cent being locals, as per the conditions given in the tender. The locals also supply most of the foods we use, including milk, meat and fruits,” said Muchina.

Simon Ngilani, a community representative, said residents did not have a problem with the investment, especially because they benefited from it.

"As the community, we will not allow anyone to frustrate the investor. The hotel is of big benefit to us and we will not allow its demolition," he said.

County executive for Lands and Physical Planning Hamilton ole Parseina could not confirm plans to bring the hotel down.

He, however, said a team from the county government was investigating the matter to establish circumstances under which the hotel was approved. 

"Our team has been investigating the matter for the last two and a half months. We are waiting for its report before deciding the next step to be taken. I do not want to state whether or not the hotel will be demolished. However, we cannot bend the law," said Parseina.

Issue approvals

He added: "I want to assure you the county did not issue approvals for the project. We never allowed him to operate a hotel in the Ngong Hills."

Parseina said the government wrote to Mr Muchina on Friday last week giving him seven days to provide documents to show he got approvals to establish the eco-lodge.

Asked why the county government was getting itself involved in an issue that should be the concern of KFS, the official said: “It does not matter who is in charge of the forest, what matters is whether right procedures were followed in establishing the hotel.”

KFS confirmed that Muchina won the tender and was given the Special User Licence to operate the hotel.

“The licence was issued on July 19, 2017. That’s why he is there and no one can evict him because everything he does there is guided by the Forest Act. He does not need any other person's approval. If anyone has an issue with the lodge, he should contact KFS,” said Anthony Kinyanjui, acting head of conservancy for Nairobi.