Court declines to halt Nairobi’s Green Army Project pending petition hearing

The High Court has declined to issue orders suspending operations of the Green Army project in Nairobi County in a petition filed by the petitioners, Dedan Rachuonyo and Felix Odiwour.

The petitioners moved to court on Tuesday, under a certificate of urgency, seeking to halt the county-led initiative pending the hearing and determination of the petition.

The also wanted a court order compelling the county government to stop all night and weekend work for the Green Army workers as well as payment of salaries for the Green Army workers be halted

Justice L.N Mugambi, however, set the case for mention of the case for June 25th.

The court further directed that the application and petition be served physically within 7 days and a return of service be filed.

"That the responses to both Petition and Application be filed within 7 days from the date of service... THAT a rejoinder, if any, be filed within 7 days from the date of receipt of the responses," reads the court order.

The petitioners allege that the county-led initiative, designed to provide environmental clean-up jobs to thousands of young Kenyans, has instead subjected workers to inhumane and unlawful conditions.

They claim the project has no clear employment structure, leaving many workers without written contracts or job security.

Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja, Nairobi City County Public Service Board and the County Secretary have been named as respondents in the case.