This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
On August 27, Rift Valley politicians, acting on instructions from Deputy President William Ruto, filed a notice in court to stop the government from evicting people from the Mau Forest. However, the Environmental Court in Nakuru has now thrown out the application, giving the evictions the go-ahead.
The court, led by Justice Sila Munyao, declined to grant injunction orders sought by 600 landowners who were seeking to stop the government from ejecting settlers who had encroached on the Maasai Mau Forest land.
Despite this, the court certified the matter as urgent and directed that it be heard on a priority basis to be concluded quickly.
Published on October 1, 2019, the court's decision is a significant setback for Ruto's Rift Valley allies, who had hoped to block the evictions.
“The court is not persuaded to grant the interim orders sought by the applicants herein. The court, however, notes that the petition is urgent, thus directs the parties to file and serve their responses within seven days each before it is heard,” said Justice Munyao.
