Muthaiga Golf Club restores access after KFS standoff

Muthaiga Golf Club has restored access to a section of its course that was temporarily taken over by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), hours after the agency moved into the area, claiming it forms part of Karura Forest.

The disruption affected the Front Nine, covering Holes Two to Nine, before the club’s board intervened to restore normal operations.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Muthaiga Golf Club Chairman Dennis Mwirigi said the board had taken the necessary steps to facilitate the resumption of activities after the temporary disruption.

“We are pleased to confirm that access to the affected part of the course has been restored and members may proceed with their scheduled activities as usual,” Mwirigi said.

He said the board remained committed to protecting the club’s interests, assets and members while addressing the matter through the appropriate channels.

The development follows an earlier communication to members informing them that KFS had taken over access to the affected section, claiming it was part of Karura Forest.

The club had initially said the Front Nine would not be accessible until further notice as it sought to resolve the matter. The driving range and parking areas were not affected.

The incident sparked criticism over the manner in which KFS handled the dispute, with Prof Karanja, Chairperson of Friends of Karura Forest, urging the agency to pursue dialogue and legal channels.

Prof Karanja said KFS should have first engaged the club’s management and clearly explained its claim over the disputed land instead of deploying dogs, guns and heavy security.

 “If they don't agree that it was your land, go to court. The court will determine,” he said.

He questioned whether KFS had adequately demonstrated that the disputed section was forest land or explained how it was allegedly acquired by Muthaiga Golf Club.

“They should have come publicly and said, look, Muthaiga, that area and that area belong to the forest,” Prof Karanja said.

He said KFS should identify the specific portion of land it claims belongs to the forest and explain the basis of its claim before taking further action.

Prof Karanja argued that the dispute should be resolved through established legal procedures rather than force. “Trees are not protected by guns,” he said.

He described the deployment of armed personnel as the wrong way of resolving a land dispute and called for engagement between KFS and the golf club.

Prof Karanja also warned that actions by government agencies could have wider implications for the administration of President William Ruto, saying confrontational conduct could lead members of the public to associate such actions directly with the government.

“When government departments behave like this, everybody now starts thinking, oh, it's Ruto's whatever,” he said.

He further recalled a previous dispute involving Friends of Karura Forest, where he said armed personnel were deployed and the group removed from an area before senior government officials intervened.

According to Prof Karanja, officials from the Treasury and forestry departments eventually intervened and encouraged dialogue to resolve the matter.

He urged KFS to adopt a similar approach in the Muthaiga dispute, saying the agency and the club should present their respective claims and seek a court determination if they cannot agree.

For now, the restoration of access means members can resume their scheduled activities, while the underlying dispute over the contested section remains subject to further engagement between KFS and the club.