The controversy surrounding the Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp has deepened with the hotel group defending its environmental record while local conservationists accuse it of sidestepping the central issue: the preservation of migratory wildlife corridors.
The camp, along the Sand River, is owned and operated by Lazizi Mara Limited, a Kenyan company, under a franchise agreement with Marriott International.
The Ritz-Carlton franchise maintains that the camp is not located on a preferred crossing point and that its unfenced design supports free wildlife movement. A statement issued in response to recent media coverage said: “Marriott does not own or lease land in the Maasai Mara National Reserve”, adding that it is “committed to integrity, transparency and respect for the environments and communities in which hotels under our brand operate”.
Lazizi Mara Limited said an environmental impact assessment was conducted in April 2024 and approved by Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority. Its elevated timber-deck structures preserve soil health and wildlife movement, mature trees were retained where possible and indigenous replanting has offset cleared vegetation, the company added. The camp, fully solar-powered with closed-loop water recycling and a zero-waste-to-landfill policy, touts itself as one of East Africa’s most energy-efficient safari properties.
In the statement, the camp highlighted its community programmes: over 70% of staff are locally employed, apprenticeships train regional youth for hospitality careers and recent initiatives have supported Emboo Primary School with books and fruit trees. Plans are in place for biodiversity monitoring with infrared cameras and a female ranger programme to empower women in conservation.
“Responsible tourism, when thoughtfully managed, can be a powerful tool for cultural preservation, conservation and community development,” the company said.
Battle heads to court
However, according to the Maasai Education, Research and Conservation Institute, led by veteran Kenyan conservationist Meitamei Ole Dapash, these commitments amount to “distraction”. His organisation has filed an urgent case seeking to halt the camp’s operations, arguing that the development sits on a crucial northern crossing point for the Great Migration.
“They are not addressing the real issue,” he said. “Talking about corporate social responsibility, schools or tree planting does not negate the seriousness of blocking wildlife corridors. We have scientific data showing wildebeest have crossed here for decades.”
Dapash said his team sought emergency orders to stop the camp from opening but the court deferred a decision, citing timing and potential harm to parties that have already made significant investments. The court is set to decide on October 22 whether to fast-track the case or set a longer hearing.
Concerns about unregulated development in the Maasai Mara are not new. Conservationists have long warned that rising numbers of lodges and camps, vehicle congestion during the Great Migration and fragmented governance between county authorities and private landowners are eroding the reserve’s ecological health. Past disputes over riverbank developments and ballooning visitor numbers have already prompted calls for a cap on new camps and stricter environmental reviews. Dapash said calls are often ignored.
He insisted his team will not back down. “If the environment is going to speak through the courts, then the courts should make that decision. If not, we’ll push for a panel of judges. This is not about to end.”
