NAKURU, Kenya – The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has dismissed reports circulating on social media alleging that part of the Menengai Crater land in Nakuru County has been grabbed.
In a statement on Friday, KFS clarified that no section of the gazetted Menengai Forest has been encroached upon or allocated to private interests, insisting that the forest’s boundaries remain intact and well-demarcated.
“The area being fenced does not fall within the gazetted Menengai Forest boundary,” KFS said, adding that its surveyors had verified the forest limits.
The agency said the ongoing Menengai Forest Fencing Project, funded by the African Development Bank under the GreenZones Development Support Project Phase II, is a legitimate conservation initiative aimed at protecting the 6,014-hectare forest.
The project covers approximately 55 kilometers of fencing around the forest to safeguard the ecosystem and enhance community safety.
According to KFS, public participation and stakeholder consultations were carried out before the project began to ensure transparency.
“Menengai Forest plays a vital environmental, economic, and social role — from supporting biodiversity and water catchment to promoting eco-tourism and local livelihoods,” the Service said.
CLARIFICATION ON ALLEGED GRABBING OF MENENGAI CRATER LANDThe Kenya Forest Service (KFS) wishes to clarify reports circulating on social media alleging the grabbing of land within the Menengai Crater area, part of the Menengai Forest Station in Nakuru County.KFS affirms that
The agency further reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public forests under the Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2016, and urged Kenyans to report any suspicious activities near forest areas to the nearest KFS office.
“We categorically refute all allegations of land grabbing. The Menengai fencing is a conservation measure — not a land allocation exercise,” the statement concluded.
