This archive report was first published on 14 July 2020.
On July 14, 2020, Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko shed light on the illicit removal of Ngong Forest to benefit a select few.
Land allocations have long been a contentious issue, with the consequences of blatant impunity often returning to haunt beneficiaries.
However, irregular allocations are the root of the problem. While confirmed public needs necessitate such allocations, the situation is different when individuals are prioritized over the public good.
Mr. Tobiko, the custodian of this vital national resource, has vowed that the government will not relent in reclaiming illegally allocated land in the forest.
Notably, 132 acres earmarked for a public facility and a school were instead grabbed and used for private residential estates. The owners of these estates stand to lose their homes and lifetime investments due to their involvement in the endemic rot within the lands department.
We concur with the CS that it is wrong to excise forest land, which is public property, and give it to private individuals at the expense of the public good.
While reclaiming such land makes sense, it is unfortunate that the officials responsible for the illegalities cannot be held accountable, as they are no longer in their positions and some may have passed away.
The challenge lies in ensuring that this insatiable greed does not resurface.
There is a demand for land for housing, but this cannot justify the destruction of the city's remaining green lungs for the benefit of a few selfish individuals.
