Sosian Energy, a power-producing company owned by the family of former President Daniel Arap Moi, has faced a major setback after a Nakuru court revoked its licence for exploration and drilling activities at the Menengai Geothermal Development Company project.
On March 17, 2025, High Court Judge Milicent Odeny ruled that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) licence granted to Sosian Energy by the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) was to be cancelled.
“NEMA’s decision granting Sosian Energy Limited an Environmental Impact Assessment Licence No. NEMA/EIA/PSL/1003 is hereby set aside and License cancelled,” Justice Odeny declared in her judgment.
Sosian Energy, which remains the only local independent power producer involved in geothermal exploration at Menengai, had been authorised by NEMA to carry out drilling activities.
The project, situated on plots in Nakuru County, was set to involve drilling thermal gradient holes, water wells, and exploration holes up to 2.7 kilometres deep.
However, the project has faced fierce opposition from the Menengai West community. In 2021, eight individuals from the Menengai West Stakeholders Forum filed a case challenging the validity of the licence.
They argued that the project had been approved without sufficient public participation, which led them to seek the revocation of the licence and a fresh Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for all geothermal activities in the area.
The case was initially dismissed by the National Environment Tribunal in 2023, which ordered Sosian Energy to conduct a Climate Impact Assessment within 24 months.
Undeterred, the petitioners took their case to the Environment and Lands Court, citing concerns over the tribunal’s handling of public participation and the validity of environmental reports.
The petitioners also pointed out that the geothermal activities were to be conducted on private land, near a densely populated agricultural area, raising fears of air pollution, excessive noise, and vibrations.
The company defended its position, claiming to have conducted sufficient public consultations through stakeholder meetings and barazas.
Justice Odeny sided with the petitioners, ruling that the public participation process had been inadequate. “There was a lapse in mandatory procedure for meaningful public participation,” she noted.
The court further ordered that a comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment be carried out before the project could proceed, ensuring that affected communities could review and comment on proposed mitigation measures.
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