The Environment and Land Court has temporarily halted President William Ruto’s decision to lift the 2018 ban on logging.
The court, headed by Justice Oscar Angote, also issued conservatory orders to prevent the government from reintroducing the Shamba System on government forests until the case, filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), is fully determined.
The LSK argued that logging activities have already commenced without proper assessment of their impact on gazetted forests, leading to the court’s intervention.
President Ruto announced the lifting of the ban on July 2nd, stating it was meant to benefit local communities and families living near the forests.
However, the LSK expressed concern over the lack of scientific reasons, research, and public participation in the decision-making process.
They also emphasized that the President’s decisions should be in writing, which was not the case here.
While the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry argued that resuming logging operations would boost economic growth and create jobs, the LSK warned of the devastating impact on water towers and the environment.
The court has scheduled the case to be mentioned on August 14th, bringing this contentious issue into the limelight.
