City lawyer Charles Mugane has filed a suit against the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Nairobi City County Government, and the Attorney General, accusing them of unlawfully handing over the management of Nairobi City Park to KFS.
In his petition, Mugane argues that City Park has historically been under the management of the Nairobi County Government, but during the tenure of the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) in 2019, KFS secretly and irregularly assumed control.
According to court documents, KFS has since deployed forest rangers to oversee revenue collection from restaurants and casual traders operating within the park. Mugane claims these funds are being collected without transparency or accountability, in violation of public finance management laws.
The lawyer further alleges that KFS officers have resorted to intimidation, harassment, and even physical violence against park visitors. He told the court that cases of people being assaulted by rangers without justification have been on the rise.
Mugane also faulted the Nairobi County Government for what he described as a “deafening silence” in the face of serious violations affecting its citizens. He added that the takeover was conducted without public participation, with KFS allegedly sending invitations to a select few entities to feign compliance.
He is now seeking orders from the Environment and Land Court to restrain KFS from managing, entering, or charging fees at City Park. Additionally, he wants the agency compelled to disclose details of any agreement with Nairobi County and to account for all revenue collected from the park since 2019.
Lady Justice T. Murigi of the Milimani Environment and Land Court has certified the matter as urgent, directing Mugane to serve the respondents and interested parties within three days.
The listed interested parties include the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Green Belt Movement, Wangari Maathai Institute of Peace and Environmental Studies, Environment Institute of Kenya, Nature Kenya, and the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee.
The case is scheduled for hearing on October 2, 2025.
