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Gitson Energy Limited has formally written to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), demanding full transparency on all Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approvals and licenses for power projects in Marsabit County.
The firm raised concerns over whether these projects comply with Kenya’s environmental and community land regulations.
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In a letter dated November 1, 2025, and addressed to the NEMA Director General, Gitson Energy CEO Jardes Gitau invoked Article 35 of the Constitution and the Access to Information Act, 2016, seeking detailed disclosure of all approved and pending EIA licenses in Marsabit.
The company requested NEMA to provide a comprehensive list of all environmental licenses issued for energy projects in the county, including application and approval dates, as well as copies of supporting land ownership documents. Gitson noted that most of Marsabit County consists of community land governed by the Community Land Act, 2016.
Gitau questioned whether NEMA had granted any approvals in the absence of an officially appointed Community Land Registrar for Marsabit, referencing a May 2023 ruling by the Environment and Land Court in Isiolo that confirmed no such appointment had been made.
“Has NEMA issued or approved any power projects in Marsabit County without a Community Land Registrar, and if so, has it violated the Constitution and relevant laws?” the letter asked.
Gitson Energy further referred to a 2017 Court of Appeal decision in Gitson Energy Limited v Francis Chachu Ganya & 6 others, which upheld the company’s right to develop its wind and solar hybrid project in Bubisa, Marsabit County, under Section 46 of the Community Land Act.
The firm warned that any licenses granted to other investors in disregard of this ruling would contravene the law and amount to unfair competition. It also asked NEMA to disclose all fees received from power project applications in Marsabit, including receipts and approval timelines.
The letter, copied to the Energy Principal Secretary and the Director General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), signals a push for inter-agency transparency and accountability in the approval of renewable energy projects on community land.
This comes amid heightened scrutiny over land ownership, environmental compliance, and licensing of large-scale energy projects in northern Kenya, home to landmark initiatives such as the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project and major transmission infrastructure.
