Ruto orders land purchase to settle squatters

President William Ruto has directed the Ministry of Lands to purchase 1,500 acres of land in Angata Barikoi, Narok County, in a fresh bid to resolve a decades-long land dispute that has triggered deadly clashes and displacement among local communities.

Speaking during the burial ceremony of the late Emurua Dikirr Member of Parliament Johana Ng’eno and five other victims of a recent helicopter crash, the President said the government would intervene to help bring lasting peace to the troubled region.

Ruto noted that the land purchase will help settle squatters caught up in the dispute, which has persisted for more than five decades and has occasionally erupted into violence.

At the same time, the Head of State announced that the government is planning to resettle about 12,000 families currently living in temporary shelters within the Mau Forest area.

According to the President, leaders from the region had previously presented him with a list of affected families who require urgent government intervention.

“Before the end of last year, leaders from this region gave me a list of about 12,000 people who need help again,” said Ruto. “We will allocate a budget so that by around August and September these families can have a place to live.”

The Angata Barikoi dispute, located in Transmara South in Narok County, revolves around ownership of more than 6,000 acres of land contested by two communities. The land lies between two adjudication sections Angata, occupied largely by members of the Kipsigis community, and Moyoi, which the Siria Maasai community claims as ancestral land.

The dispute has been complicated by conflicting land titles, court rulings and historical claims. In previous legal battles, members of the Maasai community have argued that some of the title deeds issued to Kipsigis residents were irregular, insisting the land belongs to them historically.

Over the years, the standoff has also attracted claims of land grabbing by influential individuals who allegedly sought to establish large-scale developments in the area, further intensifying tensions among residents.

The government had earlier attempted to address the conflict through resettlement plans and negotiations. In 2025, a consent agreement aimed at resolving the dispute proposed the allocation of 4,500 acres to the Maasai community, 1,500 acres to the Kipsigis community and 500 acres for government and security facilities.

Meanwhile, the President also revealed that the government is engaging the Cheluget family in discussions to resolve another long-running land dispute in Sogoo, Narok County.

The contested Cheluget Farm, which spans about 5,800 acres, has been the subject of conflict for many years. Ruto said the government is exploring options to purchase part of the land so that residents currently living there can remain without the threat of eviction.