Kenya: High Court Suspends Joho's Directive Allowing Fishing in Lake Nakuru

What the report says

A High Court in Nakuru has temporarily halted a directive by Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho that would have allowed fishermen to resume activity in Lake Nakuru National Park. The order was issued by Justice Abdi Hassan after the Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) went to court arguing that fish from the lake could contain harmful levels of heavy metals and could pose a public health risk.

According to the report carried by Capital FM and distributed by AllAfrica, the court restrained the Interior Cabinet Secretary, the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Kenya Fisheries Service and the National Police Service from enforcing or implementing the directive while the case is heard. The directive had been issued a week earlier, on October 16, at an economic empowerment forum in Nakuru hosted by Governor Susan Kihika.

COFEK said fishing should not restart until fresh scientific testing confirms the fish are safe for human consumption. The federation cited research it says found elevated lead and arsenic levels, and warned that contaminated fish could cause serious health problems. The case now preserves the status quo pending a full hearing, with several state officials named as respondents.

The dispute is significant because Lake Nakuru sits inside a protected national park and wildlife sanctuary, so the case touches both public health and environmental management. More broadly, it highlights the tension between local economic use of natural resources and regulatory caution when food safety concerns are raised.