The government is in the final stages of resolving the long-standing land disputes in Angata Barakoi, Cheluget, and those involving Mau squatters, marking a significant step towards addressing some of Kenya’s most complex historical land conflicts, according to Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot.
Senator Cheruiyot said the progress stems from President William Ruto’s commitment to finding lasting solutions to disputes that have, for decades, fuelled litigation, displacement, insecurity, and uncertainty over land ownership.
Providing an update on the three cases, Cheruiyot confirmed that the government has completed the purchase of the disputed Angata Barikoi land, with the title deed already transferred to the Ministry of Lands.
“The government has now paid for the land as promised and the title handed over to the Ministry of Lands. Pending now is public hand over of title deed to locals at a date to be announced,” he said in a statement posted on his social media pages
The Angata Barikoi dispute, which dates back to the 1970s and 1980s, arose during land adjudication when traditional grazing areas were converted into registered land. The dispute over 6,000 acres has led to repeated court battles, violent confrontations, and government interventions over the years.
Regarding the Cheluget land dispute in Narok South, the Kericho Senator announced that the government has paid the agreed deposit to the landowners and transferred the title to the Ministry of Lands. The remaining process involves the completion of a survey and the preparation of an individual titling plan before beneficiaries receive their title deeds.
“A deposit has been paid as agreed with the sellers. The title is now with the Ministry of Lands, awaiting the surveyors’ conclusion of the titling plan before the public handover of individual titles to the residents,” he stated.
The 5,800-acre property was allocated to the late former Nyanza Provincial Commissioner Isaiah Kiplangat Cheluget in 1974. Hundreds of squatters later occupied the land around 1999, leading to prolonged legal battles. Although the Cheluget family won successive court cases affirming ownership, implementing the judgments proved difficult, prompting negotiations for the government to purchase the land and permanently settle the occupants, including some families displaced from the Mau Forest.
Cheruiyot also confirmed that the verification of beneficiaries under the Mau squatters programme has been completed, paving the way for compensation and settlement.
“Verification of personal details exercise that was under supervision of the Ministry of Lands and national government administration has been concluded. Modalities of disbursement are now being concluded,” he said.
The Mau squatters issue originated from the extensive excision of sections of the Mau Forest Complex during the 1990s. Subsequent conservation efforts led to large-scale evictions of families deemed to have settled illegally within the country’s largest water tower, displacing thousands and sparking years of legal, humanitarian, and political contestation.
Cheruiyot emphasised that the completion of the three programmes “will bring to a close some of Kenya’s most difficult historical land matters,” which have remained unresolved for decades despite numerous court cases, negotiations, and government interventions.
