The High Court has suspended President William Ruto's directive on logging which paved the way for the felling of trees for commercial purposes.
The logging ban was imposed in 2018 but President Ruto lifted the ban in June 2023.
However, the directive met opposition from a section of Kenyans including the Law Society of Kenya.
LSK Moved to court seeking orders to stay the directive even as they challenged the decision.
Justice Oscar Angote suspended the directive alongside the introduction of the Shamba system until the case filed before the court is heard and determined.
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"Orders are granted staying the government directive on the revocation of the Gazette notices previously issued for degazettement of forest areas/designating areas as forests and the re-introduction of the shamba System," the court ruled.
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Justice Angote further stopped the issuance of licenses to saw millers who fell trees in the government forests.
The hearing of the case will continue on August 14.
The lifting of the ban according to President William Ruto was to allow for the prudent use of mature trees which he said were rotting in the forests yet they could be used in the making of furniture.
He said the move was to back his plan to stop the importation of furniture to promote local masonry activities to encourage the consumption of local products.
According to the Ministry of Environment, public forest plantations supply 31.4 million cubic meters of timber annually while the demand for timber in the country is 47 million cubic metres.
This leaves a deficit of 15.6 million cubic metres.
Environment CS Soipan Tuya said 60,000 trees will go to waste if not fallen for commercial purposes.
