Court Gavel
In interim orders issued by Justice Gregory Mutai, the court restrained Kajiado County, Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, and anyone acting on the county's behalf from entering the park, assuming control of its operations or management, interfering with its activities, or implementing the Deed of Transfer dated October 14, 2025, until the application is heard and determined.
The court certified the application as urgent, directing the petitioner to serve the respondents and interested parties within three working days.
The respondents have seven days after service to file their responses, while the application will be heard on July 24. Parties have also been granted leave to file skeleton submissions by July 23.
The latest orders come days after Governor Lenku accused the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) of defying a presidential agreement on revenue sharing from Amboseli National Park.
While appearing before the Senate Public Accounts Committee, Lenku claimed county officials were blocked by KWS officers when they attempted to collect Kajiado County's 50 per cent share of the park's revenue on July 1.
According to the governor, KWS officers declined to hand over the revenue, saying they had not received instructions to implement the agreement despite a deed of transfer signed by President William Ruto in November 2025.
Lenku argued that the refusal contradicted the transfer agreement, which provides for joint collection of park revenue through the e-Citizen platform, with proceeds shared equally between the national and county governments during the 2026/2027 financial year.
Under the phased arrangement, the county's share is expected to increase to 70 per cent in the 2027/2028 financial year before rising to 100 per cent from the 2028/2029 financial year.
The court's orders effectively preserve the existing management of Amboseli National Park until the dispute over the implementation of the transfer agreement is determined.
Justice Mutai further warned that any person who disobeys the court orders will face the legal consequences of contempt of court.
