Kenyan herders bring new legal challenge to carbon-credit project

More than 30 members of communities in eastern Kenya have brought a legal challenge to a carbon-credit project managed by the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), ANP reports. Herders say land around Biliqo Bulesa was brought into the project without their consent, leaving them with less control over grazing. They are seeking information about revenue from the land and allege that armed men intimidated residents and used violence. The new allegations have not been decided by a court. [7]

The dispute follows a separate ruling in January 2025. A Kenyan court found that the Biliqo Bulesa and Cherab conservancies were operating illegally within the affected wards of Chari and Cherab. It found violations of property rights and ruled that armed rangers operating there under NRT’s management were illegal and unconstitutional. In that case, NRT argued that conservancies were compatible with pastoralists’ traditional way of life and denied that the rangers were its private army. [3]

Verra, the carbon-credit certifier, said the ruling had put the wider project out of compliance with its ownership rules. It reinstated the project in June 2026 after accepting an assessment of a community ratification process involving about 1,500 people. Verra also said an injunction allowed conservancy operations to continue during an appeal. A September appeal-court decision allowed an industry association to join that case but did not decide the appeal itself. [6] [5]

ANP names Meta, Netflix, British Airways and Beiersdorf as users of credits from the project. Their credit use is distinct from the herders’ allegations against NRT. [7]