The Environment and Lands Court has delt President William Ruto a huge blow by declaring his directive to allow logging in forests across the country is illegal and unconstitutional.
The judgement issued by Justice Oscar Angote concurred with the Law Society of Kenya’s arguments that Ruto’s order that lifted a countrywide ban on logging was done illegally without following the due process and the law since proper public participation was not done.
“I find that lifting of the moratorium was done without proactive disclosure of information and public participation,” the Judged ruled.
Further, Justice Angote has also revoked consent orders filed at Nyeri and the Meru High Court between the logging companies in the counties and the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) on grounds that same were commercial in nature since there was no evidence of public participation placed before the court before lifting the moratorium in the consent orders.
“A declaration is hereby issued that the lifting of the moratorium in the Nyeri and Meru High Court lacked public participation and is therefore null and void,” ordered Justice Angote.
