Nairobi, Jan. 5 -- The Environment and Land Court has dismissed a petition challenging the alleged illegal allocation of 1,000 acres within the Maasai Mara National Reserve to a private company five years ago, amid growing scrutiny over dealings in the prime safari tourism destination.

The court said that it lacks the authority to order criminal investigations or investigate integrity violations-functions reserved for agencies such as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

At the core of the legal dispute was land parcel LR No. 212713/1, which the petitioner claimed was unlawfully excised from the Mara Triangle Game Reserve, a globally recognised conservation zone renowned ...