Kenya: Climate Lobby Group to Petition House of Commons Over Enforcement of Laikipia Fire Court Order

Nairobi — An environment lobby group will now be travelling to London, United Kingdom next month to present a protest petition to the House of Commons over the enforcement of the Laikipia Fire Court order.

The African Centre for Corrective and Preventive Action (ACCPA) and Lolldaiga community now lament that the Kenyan government has frustrated their attempts to get justice despite court orders.

The two petitioners claim that no Inter-Governmental Liaison Committee, has been formed by Kenya and United Kingdom to look into the matter.

"We have done countless requests to attorney general, Ulinzi House and British High commission. We are calling on all Kenyans and UK citizens to condemn this attempt to defeat justice. Already we have lost countless petitioners some from complications of fire," stated ACCPA Chair Mwangi Macharia.

On March 10th 2022, the High Court referred the matter to the Inter-Governmental Liaison Committee, which as per the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), is tasked with solving civil disputes between the community and the UK army.

The community and the NGO (petitioners) had accuse the UK military of starting a fire during training at the Lolldaiga Conservancy on March 25, last year.

"Without immediate intervening actions to caution and mitigate the affected community from continued effects of the fire and environmental degradation, this delay is a disregard of their dignity and inherent human rights," he stated.

"We call upon relevant institutions both within and in UK, to comply with the orders on a timely manner to the relief of the affected persons," said Kevin Kubai, the petitioners lawyer.

In the suit, the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (Batuk) together with the Lolldaiga Hills Ltd have been embroiled in a dispute with 1,496 residents of the Lolldaiga community in Nanyuki and the African Corrective and Preventive Action, an environmental NGO.

"The area continues to become a hot bed of human-animal conflicts and healh related issues which sabotage their economic and financial position amidst a global pandemic and rising cost of living," stated Kubai.

In the matter, the petitioners say that the fire ravaged more than 10,000 acres of land, causing damage to plants, animals and affecting the communities living near the ranch.

As a result, wildlife at the 49,000-acre conservancy escaped into people's farms destroying produce.

The inferno also emitted smoke that contained dangerous chemicals, causing adverse health effects in both people and livestock.

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.