President William Ruto has ordered the Ministry of Lands to purchase 1,500 acres of the contested Angata-Barakoi land to settle squatters who have been fighting over the ownership of the land in deadly clashes that have persisted for over 50 years.
At the same time, Ruto announced the government is budgeting to resettle 12,000 families who have been living in tents in the Mau Forest in honour of the late Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno.
“Before the end of last year, I was given a list by the leaders of this region of about 12,000 people, who need to be helped again. We will alocate a budget, so that at around August and September, these people can find a place to live,” stated President Ruto.
Ruto made these remarks during the burial service of the late Ng’eno and the five others who died in a helicopter crash on March 6, acknowledging that he is aware of the long-standing dispute over the land, stating that this was one of Ng’eno’s wishes before his death.
The primary problem in Angata Barikoi, a region in Transmara South, Narok County, Kenya, is a severe, long-standing conflict over land ownership that has escalated into violent clashes, fatalities, and mass displacement.
The conflict centres on a 6,000-6,300-acre parcel of land, where there is an overlap between two land adjudication sections, Angata (Kipsigis-occupied) and Moyoi (Siria Maasai-claimed).
The Maasai community has consistently claimed ancestral ownership and, in previous court rulings, has obtained orders for the Kipsigis to vacate, arguing that the Kipsigis’ title deeds were irregularly issued.
The dispute is deep-rooted, as it also involves allegations of land grabbing by powerful individuals intending to set up sugar factories, which has triggered resistance from residents who claim ancestral ownership.
The Kenyan government had previously made several attempts to resettle the victims. However, this process has been expedited through a demarcation procedure of outlined in the 2025 Consent Agreement.
The agreement saw the government implementing an out-of-court settlement between President William Ruto and community representatives, allocating 4,500 acres to the Maasai, 1,500 acres to the Kipsigis, and 500 acres for government and security infrastructure as of August 2025.
President William Ruto also hinted at solving the controversial Cheluget Farm land dispute with the locals in Sogoo, Narok County, with a 5,800-acre being at the centre of the problem.
The problem has also persisted for over 50 years. The land that belonged to Isaiah Kiplagat Cheluget was a powerful Provincial Commissioner (PC) for Nyanza Province in the Jomo Kenyatta regime.
President William Ruto revealed that the government is in negotiations with the Cheluget family, with the government intending to buy out part of the land so that those already living in the area would no longer be at risk of eviction.
