The NRT-Legal Brief

The NRT Case: A Landmark Ruling on Community Land Rights

In this edition of The Green Brief  NRT Legal Brief, we unpack the NRT case, where 165 petitioners challenged the unlawful establishment of conservancies on their ancestral land in Isiolo. The court ruled that the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) and Isiolo County Government violated constitutional rights by sidelining community participation, disregarding land registration laws, and deploying unauthorized armed rangers.

The judgment reinforces that conservation efforts must respect community land rights, uphold public participation, and comply with legal procedures. This case sets a critical precedent for balancing environmental goals with the rights of indigenous pastoralists. Read on to understand how the ruling reshapes Kenya’s approach to land and conservation governance.