Court bars petitioner’s attempt to withdraw suit against Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Maasai Mara
The Environment and Lands Court has barred attempt by Meitamei Olol Dapash, a petitioner who filed a suit against the operationalisation of the Ritz-Carlton Safari Camp Lodge in Maasai Mara Game Reserve from withdrawing it.
In a landmark ruling on Thursday, December 18, 2025, Justice Lucy Gacheru directed that the issues raised borders on public interest and that the matter will be heard to its logical conclusion.
“Given the nature of the concerns raised and the level of public interest generated, this Court will not allow the notice of withdrawal,” the judge said.
Justice Gacheru noted that issues raised by the petitioner, which include those relating to blocking the wildebeest migratory corridor in Maasai Mara National Reserve, cannot be dropped without a full investigation and a ruling by the court.
The court ruled that the additional issues raised in the petition, including environmental conservation and sustainable development, are matters of public interest rather than private concern.
Dapash’s lawyer confirmed the application to withdraw the case on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 but it was dealt a severe blow.
The withdrawal was made without any explanation, with some reports indicating that his concerns were addressed.
“The petitioner herein wishes to withdraw the entire suit instituted by way of petition dated August 8, 2025 with orders as to cost,” Dapsh’s lawyer said.
In his petition, the environmentalist accused the camp of obstructing the migration corridor between the Maasai Mara National Reserve and the Serengeti National Reserve in Tanzania.
This corridor is vital in ensuring wildlife traverses the two national reserves in search of pasture, a natural phenomenon commonly known as the wildebeest migration.
Furthermore, his petition questioned the legality and environmental compliance of the camp’s establishment and also claimed that the establishment of the hotel undermined the rights of indigenous communities.
The environmentalist also sued the Narok County Government, the National Environment Management Authority, and three others.
The hotel came under sharp criticism last month, after videos circulated online of struggling wildebeest near the hotel.
However, in a statement on Thursday, November 27, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) described the videos as misleading, stressing that they were meant to tarnish the reputation of some camps in the reserve. The service said that the hotel sits within a designated low-use tourism investment zone, as outlined in the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
