Environmentalist moves to withdraw petition against Ritz‑Carlton Maasai Mara safari camp
Dr Joel Meitamei Olol Dapash was challenging the legality of the approval and development of the safari camp, arguing that the project had not met environmental and regulatory requirements.
An environmental conservationist has moved to withdraw a petition he filed at the Environment and Land Court in Narok seeking to stop the operations of the Ritz-Carlton safari camp within the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
More To Read
- Senate launches probe into Ritz-Carlton Maasai Mara project
- From budget trips to lavish getaways: How comfort shapes modern travel in Kenya
- Counties intensify pressure on national government over park revenue-sharing model
- KWS dismisses claims Ritz-Carlton Safari Camp blocks wildebeest migration in Maasai Mara
- Maasai community sets aside 1 million acres to protect Amboseli ecosystem
- Tourism authority warns public over fake job scams linked to nonexistent lodges in Maasai Mara
Dr Joel Meitamei Olol Dapash has filed a notice of withdrawal, indicating that he no longer wishes to pursue the case and is seeking to have the entire suit withdrawn with no orders as to costs.
“Take notice that the petitioner herein wishes to withdraw the entire suit instituted by way of a petition dated August 8, 2025, with no orders as to cost,” reads the notice filed in court.
The case had been lodged against the Narok County Government, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), and three other respondents.
Dr Dapash was challenging the legality of the approval and development of the safari camp, arguing that the project had not met environmental and regulatory requirements.
In the petition, Dr Dapash questioned the process and timelines through which the safari camp was approved and constructed within the protected reserve.
He argued that the development had proceeded without adequate public participation and raised concerns over whether the necessary environmental impact assessments had been properly conducted and approved.
He had urged the court to issue conservatory orders restraining the opening and operation of the safari facility, warning that the project posed serious environmental risks to the fragile Maasai Mara ecosystem.
Dr Dapash further claimed that the camp threatened wildlife habitats and undermined the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous communities living around the reserve.
Top Stories Today
