The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has moved onto part of the Muthaiga Golf Club course, restricting members from using eight holes that the agency says fall within Karura Forest.
The affected section covers the Front Nine from Hole No. 2 to Hole No. 9.
In a notice to members dated Tuesday, September 15, Muthaiga Golf Club chairman Dennis Mwirigi said KFS had taken control of the section, citing its position that the area lies within the Karura Forest boundary.
“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 said.
The club has since referred the matter to its board, which is working to resolve the dispute with the forest agency.
“The Board is seized of the matter and is trying its level best to resolve the situation as urgently as possible,” he said.
KFS Closes Eight Muthaiga Golf Club Holes to Members
The club said members will not be allowed to use the affected holes until further notice.
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The restriction does not extend to the driving range or parking facilities, which continue to operate normally.
The club apologized to members for the disruption as it works to address the issue.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience, understanding and cooperation as the Club works to resolve this matter,” Mwirigi said.
Muthaiga Golf Club was named Kenya’s Best Golf Course at the 2025 World Golf Awards and is one of Kenya’s long-established golf clubs.
History of the Karura Forest Boundary
The boundary between Karura Forest and neighboring land in Muthaiga has been disputed for years, particularly over the position of the Getathuru River.
In a separate case involving Muthaiga resident Jeremy Mark Block, the Kenya Forest Service argued that the Getathuru River marked the boundary between his property and Karura Forest. Block disputed this position, arguing that the river had been canalized and that the original forest boundary was different.
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In February 2024, the Environment and Land Court ruled in Block’s favor. The court found that the course of the Getathuru River had been changed through canalization and declared that the boundary between his property and Karura Forest was the one shown on his Deed Plan, Land Survey Plan No. 67617. The court also ordered KFS to stop interfering with his property.
In 2025, KFS sought to halt the implementation of the ruling pending an appeal, arguing that the court had failed to fully consider Karura Forest’s original gazettement and survey records.
The issue of boundaries is also documented in Karura Forest’s management plans. The forest’s management plan states that the Muthaiga-Karura boundary was disputed and that a re-survey was required to establish the boundary.
The plan also identifies Muthaiga Golf Club on the southern side of the forest’s eastern section.
KFS Clarifies Position on Muthaiga Golf Club Land
KFS as said that land claimed by Muthaiga Golf Club overlaps with Karura Forest, arguing that about 21.8 hectares of the parcel known as LR No. 13134/3 falls within the boundaries of the gazetted forest.
In a statement issued on September 15, KFS said it surveyed Karura Forest in the early 1920s, with the survey officially registered in 1923. According to the agency, the forest covers about 1,041.1 hectares and was formally declared a Forest Reserve through Proclamation No. 44 of 1932.
KFS added that, as other government forests gazetted before independence, Karura was later designated a Central Forest under Legal Notice No. 174 of May 20, 1964.
The agency said the differing claims over the land would be discussed at a meeting to be held at KFS headquarters. It added that both sides are expected to explore ways of resolving the dispute through mutual agreement rather than prolonged litigation.
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