Court stops public participation on proposed Meru State Lodge, airstrip, golf course

Public participation on the proposed Meru State Lodge, airstrip and golf course project has been stopped by the High Court pending the hearing of a petition challenging the planned developments.

Justice Oguttu Mboya issued an interim conservatory order barring the intended public participation after certifying the application as urgent.

The judge observed that there are existing court orders stopping the commencement of the impugned project and ruled that the actions complained of could not be allowed to proceed.

The court directed the petitioners to serve the application on the respondents within two days, while the respondents were granted seven days from the date of service to file and serve their responses.

The matter will be mentioned on July 21, 2026, for further orders and directions. The interim conservatory orders stopping the public participation exercise will remain in force until then.

In June this year, a case was filed seeking to stop any planned developments within Imenti Forest amid claims that sections of the protected forest are under threat from proposed projects, including an airstrip, golf course and State Lodge.

In a petition filed before the Environment and Land Court, petitioner Francis Awino is seeking urgent conservatory orders restraining government agencies and other parties from excising, allocating, licensing, surveying, clearing, fencing, constructing on or otherwise dealing with any part of Imenti Forest pending the hearing and determination of the case.

The petitioner argues that recent reports and public statements have raised concerns that portions of the forest could be earmarked for major infrastructure and development projects, thereby posing a significant threat to its ecological integrity.