The Environment and Land Court in Meru has stopped the construction of a State House lodge, airstrip and golf course within Imenti Forest.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Justice Oguttu Mboya issued a conservatory order directing that no activity, including excision, allocation, surveying, leasing, clearing or construction, should take place on any portion of the forest pending the hearing and determination of a petition filed before the court.

The interim orders were issued in a document on June 23, reviewed by this publication, after the court certified the matter as urgent and set timelines for responses and mention of the case for further directions on June 30.

“Pending the inter partes hearing and determination of this Application, a temporary conservatory order and injunction shall be issued restraining the Respondents, whether by themselves, their servants, agents, employees, contractors or any other person acting under their authority, from exercising, allocating, alienating, surveying, leasing, licensing, clearing, constructing upon, developing or otherwise interfering with any portion of Imenti Forest for purposes of constructing or facilitating an airstrip, State Lodge, golf course or related facilities,” the orders stated.

📌 What You Need to Know

Petitioners had moved to court seeking to block any development plans involving the forest, arguing that the project would interfere with the ecological and legal status of the protected area.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke