A coalition of legal and environmental organisations has asked the Environment and Land Court to suspend the construction and expansion of luxury accommodation facilities inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve, warning that continued development is disrupting the world-famous wildebeest migration and could cause lasting ecological damage.
The petition has been filed by the East Africa Law Society, Natural Justice, JustAct and the Africa Centre for Peace and Human Rights against Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC, Marriott International Inc, Lazizi Mara Limited, Narok County Government, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Attorney General, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), The Safari Collection Ltd and Minor Hotels Ltd.
Through advocate Gichohi Waweru, the organisations are seeking conservatory orders barring any further construction or expansion of accommodation facilities within the reserve, particularly in the Low Use Zone and the Mara River Ecological Zone, until the court determines the petition.
They have also asked the court to certify the case as one raising substantial constitutional issues and refer it to the Chief Justice for the appointment of a five-judge bench.
At the centre of the dispute is the Ritz-Carlton Maasai Mara Safari Camp, a 20-suite luxury facility located near the Sand River. The petitioners contend that the camp was developed within a protected ecological area despite an existing moratorium on new accommodation facilities in the reserve.
"The construction and operation of the Ritz-Carlton Maasai Mara Safari Camp within a protected ecological zone is unlawful and threatens the integrity of one of the world's most important wildlife ecosystems," the petition states.
The organisations further claim that the camp was established without a valid Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) licence and in an area designated for conservation under the Maasai Mara National Reserve Management Plan 2023-2032.
The petition also names Sala's Camp, operated by The Safari Collection Ltd, and Elewana Sand River Masai Mara, operated by Minor Hotels Ltd, alleging that the facilities are operating within protected conservation zones contrary to the reserve's management framework.
To support their case, the petitioners rely on findings from the University of Glasgow's Serengeti Biodiversity Programme, which analysed 26 years of GPS tracking data on wildebeest movements.
According to the court documents, the research indicates that a major migration route across the Sand River disappeared after construction of the Ritz-Carlton camp commenced in 2022, forcing significant numbers of wildebeest to remain on the Tanzanian side of the border instead of crossing into Kenya.
"The high-density migration corridor across the Sand River ceased to function following the commencement of construction works, demonstrating the direct ecological impact of the development," the court papers state.
The organisations argue that the annual wildebeest migration is a globally significant ecological event protected under international environmental agreements that Kenya has ratified and is constitutionally bound to uphold.
They want the court to determine whether wildlife migration corridors enjoy constitutional protection, whether Kenya's international environmental obligations are enforceable before local courts, and whether leasing land within a national reserve for commercial tourism requires prior approval by Parliament.
In addition, the petition seeks orders directing government agencies to conduct a comprehensive audit of all hotels and tourism facilities operating within protected zones of the Maasai Mara National Reserve and submit their findings to the court.
The petitioners warn that unless the court intervenes immediately, continued development during the ongoing 2026 migration season could cause irreversible harm to the ecosystem and undermine one of Kenya's most valuable tourism assets.
"The continued development of accommodation facilities within these ecologically sensitive areas poses an immediate and irreversible threat to the wildebeest migration and the ecological integrity of the Maasai Mara National Reserve," they argue in the petition.
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