NAIROBI, Kenya — Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Ruto of using the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to target Muthaiga Golf Club amid a dispute over whether part of the club’s course falls within the boundaries of Karura Forest.
Gachagua claimed Ruto was behind the KFS intervention, alleging that the President was seeking to take over the golf club’s property.
Gachagua Accuses Ruto of Targeting Golf Club
In a statement on Thursday, September 17, Gachagua said members of Muthaiga Golf Club had contacted him over what he described as an attempt to seize the facility.
“Your appetite for land has now surpassed public land; you have now turned to private land,” Gachagua said.
He added that efforts would be made to oppose what he characterised as the attempted takeover of Muthaiga Golf Club and other public and private property.
Gachagua also warned senior KFS officials against what he described as allowing themselves to be used by the President.
His remarks come as the land dispute between KFS and Muthaiga Golf Club moves into a phase of discussions between the two sides.
KFS Claims 21.8 Hectares Fall Within Karura
KFS maintains that the dispute concerns Land Reference Number 13134/3, which the golf club claims to own.
The forest agency says approximately 21.8 hectares of the parcel fall within the gazetted Karura Forest boundary.
KFS said Karura Forest was surveyed in the early 1920s, with the survey registered in 1923, before the forest was declared a reserve through Proclamation No. 44 of 1932.
It was subsequently declared a Central Forest through Legal Notice No. 174 of May 20, 1964.
KFS has disputed the club’s occupation of the contested section, saying its records do not establish a lawful claim by the club to the disputed forest land.
KFS Officers Take Over Front Nine
The dispute escalated on September 15 after KFS officers moved onto a section of the golf course.
The affected area covers the Front Nine, from Hole No. 2 through Hole No. 9.
Muthaiga Golf Club chairman Dennis Mwirigi told members that KFS had taken over access to the section, claiming that it formed part of Karura Forest.
The club subsequently restricted members from using the affected holes while its board worked to address the dispute.
The club said its driving range and parking area were not affected.
KFS Cites Historical Land Records
KFS has provided a historical account of the disputed land, saying records show that a plan indicating the extent of land leased for the golf club was issued in 1966.
The agency said construction of the golf course followed, and that in 1974 the then Chief Conservator of Forests wrote to the club regarding a proposed alteration of the golf course boundary that would extend the course northwards.
KFS also said the club was invited to apply for a Forest Special Use Licence following the enactment of the Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2007.
According to the agency, the club did not act on that request.
KFS said another engagement took place in 2021, during which club representatives claimed to hold a title deed for the disputed property. The agency says its records do not establish the club’s lawful right to occupy the contested section.
KFS and Club Set for Talks
The competing claims have prompted plans for discussions between KFS and Muthaiga Golf Club.
KFS said a meeting at its headquarters would seek an amicable resolution to the disagreement over the land and its boundaries.
There has been no reported court determination in the current dispute establishing which side holds the legal title to the contested section.
Gachagua Links Dispute to Ruto
Gachagua’s intervention has given the land dispute a political dimension, with the former Deputy President directly linking the KFS action to Ruto.
He also claimed that Ruto and his family control almost all national parks and game reserves in Kenya, but did not provide evidence for that assertion in his statement.
Gachagua further warned that KFS officials he accused of participating in the alleged takeover would face consequences after the 2027 General Election.
