Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has alleged that President William Ruto is targeting Muthaiga Golf Club amid the ongoing land dispute.
In a statement dated September 17, Gachagua said Kenya Forest Service (KFS) officers entered the golf course with killer dogs and declared part of it to be part of Karura Forest.
According to the former deputy president, members of the club informed him that the government was seeking to take over the property.
He added that he learned about the land grabbing of the Golf Club after President Ruto acquired several parcels of land in the neighboring Kiambu County.
“Members of Muthaiga Golf Club have woken me up at night, informing me that Mr. William Ruto, using the Kenya Forest Service, is planning to grab Muthaiga Golf Course after grabbing several parcels of land in the neighboring Kiambu County. I sympathize with them; just like the 55 million Kenyans, the Kenyan great grabber is on their case,” Rigathi said.
Gachagua on Ruto’s Link to Muthaiga Golf Club
In his statement, Rigathi reminded the President Ruto that the Golf Club existed before his regime.
He further argued that the former presidents before Ruto, including Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Arap Moi, and Uhuru Kenyatta, did not interfere with the Muthaiga Golf Club, and that some, including Mwai Kibaki, played at the club before he became president.
Rigathi also claimed that Ruto, together with his immediate family, is running the management of most of the national parks and game reserves in Kenya.
In addition, Rigathi has assured the members of the Golf Club that President Ruto will not be allowed to grab their land, as well as the lands belonging to all golfers whose golf courses are being targeted for grabbing.
Also Read: Why KFS Has Taken Over Part of Muthaiga Golf Club Land
KFS on Land Dispute
Rigathi’s intervention came as KFS issued its own statement on September 15, setting out its position on the disputed section of the golf course.
Muthaiga Golf Club Chairman Dennis Mwirigi issued a notice on September 15 about KFS taking over access to the Front Nine, covering Holes 2 to 9, after asserting that the section falls within Karura Forest.
“We wish to inform you that the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has invaded the course and taken over access to the Front Nine, from Hole No. 2 through to Hole No. 9. KFS is purporting that this section of the course falls within Karura Forest,” Mwirigi stated.
According to KFS, the dispute centers on Land Reference Number 13134/3, which Muthaiga Golf Club claims to own.
The forest agency said about 21.8 hectares of the parcel fall within the gazetted Karura Forest Reserve.
In a statement issued on September 16, KFS maintained that the section occupied by the golf club constitutes part of public forestland.
“There is no evidence on record to the effect of proving legal occupation of the forest by the Club. Historically, the Club has acknowledged through various correspondences in our possession, their occupation of a gazetted forest land and the recent claims of ownership may imply grabbing of public land by private interest,” KFS statement read.
According to KFS, approximately 1,041.1 hectares were declared as a Forest Reserve vide Proclamation No. 44 of 1932.
Later, as other state forests were gazetted before independence, Karura Forest was declared a Central Forest vide Legal Notice No. 174 on 20 May 1964.
Following the land dispute between Muthaiga Golf Club and the KFS, the agency announced that it would hold a meeting at the KFS HQ to seek a solution.
Also Read: KFS Boss Sets Record Straight on Karura Forest Takeover
History of Muthaiga Golf Club Current Management
Muthaiga Golf Club traces its history to the 1920s, although it was formally incorporated as a company limited by guarantee in September 1943. Club records indicate that it was already operating by 1922, with J.A. Morrison serving as president and Mr Shaple as golf captain.
Its course hosted the first major tournament, which later became the Kenya Open, in 1967 and has hosted the prestigious event several times since.
In 2025, Muthaiga again hosted the Kenya Open, which South African golfer Jacques Kruyswijk won.
The present course was redesigned by South African golf architect Peter Matkovich and officially opened in 2004 by former President Mwai Kibaki.
Dennis Mwirigi is the current chairman, while Julius Mutethia serves as general manager as of 2026.
Benson Murimi was elected to serve as Captain of the Golf Club in 2026 and previously served the Club as Vice-Captain in 2025, while Beatrice Soy serves as the Lady Captain of the Golf Club.
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