Nairobi — Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina has warned against efforts to revive or prolong a legal challenge targeting a proposed Ritz-Carlton safari lodge in the Maasai Mara, saying the matter should be considered settled after the petitioner applied to withdraw the case.
Ole Kina said Wednesday that the move indicates "all issues are resolved."
"The matter is now closed, and there is no room for further interference," he said. "Those attempting to join or prolong the case should focus elsewhere--enough of the negative publicity."
The Senator pointed out that Maasai Mara is Narok's heritage, adding that they are "fully capable of protecting it."
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His remarks followed a notice filed in court on Wednesday indicating that a Kenyan environmentalist who sued to block the opening of the luxury lodge had applied to withdraw the petition, without giving reasons.
The activist, Meitamei Olol Dapash of the Institute for Maasai Education, Research and Conservation (MERC), filed the lawsuit in August against Ritz-Carlton, its owner Marriott International, the project's local developer Lazizi Mara Limited, and Kenyan authorities.
The petition sought to halt the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp, alleging it blocked a key wildebeest migration corridor linking Kenya's Maasai Mara and Tanzania's Serengeti.
In court filings, Dapash argued that the camp obstructed a crucial route used during the annual migration, which is vital for access to grazing areas and for maintaining genetic diversity among wildebeest herds.
"The Petitioner herein wishes to withdraw the entire suit instituted by way of petition dated 8th August 2025 with no orders as to costs," Dapash's lawyers said in a filing to the Environment and Land Court in Narok.
The case, before Justice Lucy Gicheru, received the notice of withdrawal on Wednesday morning.
However, Lazizi Mara Limited, the third respondent, opposed the withdrawal without consequences, urging the court to sanction the petitioner for what it described as reputational damage caused by months of adverse publicity following the filing of the petition.
The company asked the court to issue a substantive ruling clearing its name of the allegations.
The petition had alleged that the lodge was built unlawfully, undermined indigenous communities and was constructed during a moratorium on new lodges in sensitive areas of the reserve.
It also raised concerns over what it said was inadequate public participation.
Dapash's lawyers told the court that the issues raised -- which they described as part of a fact-finding mission -- had since been "addressed sufficiently," and that continuing with the case would not be in good faith.
Lazizi Mara, through its lawyers, rejected that position, insisting that the court should determine the validity of the allegations.
The company said it had suffered reputational harm and needed a judicial finding to put the matter to rest.
The Law Society of Kenya and the East African Wildlife Society had earlier sought to be enjoined as interested parties in the case.
In a statement issued on Nov. 27, Lazizi Mara Limited said the dispute was under active litigation in Environment and Land Petition No. E003 of 2025 and that it had submitted comprehensive evidence to the court. The company said it had provided correspondence with Narok County dating back to 2023, a lease agreement, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report with evidence of public participation, and confirmations from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the county government that due process was followed.
Lazizi Mara also said The Ritz-Carlton was neither the owner nor the operator of the facility, describing itself as the developer and operator of the project.
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It said it had refrained from public debate while court proceedings continued, citing delays by the petitioner in serving all respondents as a factor that prolonged the case.
"Lazizi Mara Limited remains confident in the judicial process and will continue to comply fully with the law," the statement said.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has separately dismissed claims that the lodge obstructs a migration corridor, saying the camp lies within a "designated tourism investment low-use zone" under the Maasai Mara National Reserve Management Plan 2023-2032.
According to KWS, GPS collar data collected between 1999 and 2022 from dozens of migratory wildebeest show that migration corridors remain intact and are not disrupted by the camp's presence.
The agency said all required EIAs and regulatory approvals were secured before construction began.
Narok County officials and the developers have previously described the allegations as "unfounded, malicious and self-serving," saying the project complied with zoning, environmental and leasing requirements.
