The High Court has certified as urgent an application filed by activist Francis Awino seeking contempt proceedings against senior government officials over the alleged disobedience of court orders concerning the protection of the Imenti Forest.
Justice Oguttu Mboya on June 25, 2026, directed that the application be heard on a priority basis and ordered that the respondents be served within two days. The matter is scheduled for mention on June 29, 2026, for further directions and orders.
In his application, Awino wants the court to find that officials from the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry and the Kenya Forest Service deliberately and publicly disobeyed orders issued on June 10, 2026, directing the maintenance of the status quo in the Imenti Forest, a designated water tower.
The activist is seeking to have the court cite for contempt Gitonga Mugambi, the Permanent Secretary in the State Department for Forestry, and Alex Lemarkoko, the Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Forest Service, together with any other officers found to have participated in the alleged violation of the court orders.
Awino is also seeking orders committing the alleged contemnors to civil jail or imposing fines, directing them to immediately cease and reverse all activities undertaken in breach of the court’s orders, and requiring the police to assist in enforcing the directives.
According to the application, despite being aware of the orders issued on June 10, the officials allegedly continued activities that could lead to the alienation, excision or degradation of the Imenti Forest.
He argues that the continued disobedience threatens public interest, constitutional rights and the preservation of the forest, which forms the substratum of the petition.
The court will give further directions when the matter comes up on June 29, 2026.
