Written By Lisa Murimi
President William Ruto has threatened to withdraw Kenya from the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) if the court does not lift the caveat on Mau Forest by December 2024.
Speaking in Kuresoi on Monday, Ruto emphasized that the caveat has forced residents to live as squatters on their own land.
“On caveat, we agreed we have done phase one which covered almost 10,000 acres, we have lifted it because it was here in Kenya,” Ruto stated. He revealed that the Arusha-based court had been uncooperative and gave an ultimatum:
“They have two options: either they lift the caveat or we withdraw membership from that court.”
Ruto assured Kuresoi residents that if the issue remains unresolved by year-end, he would sign documents to withdraw Kenya from the EACJ.
“It is not acceptable that citizens are living as squatters because of no act of their fault and because there is a court that does not respect the rights of other people,” he asserted.
Ruto clarified that the potential withdrawal should not be seen as a disregard for the rule of law but as a response to the suffering caused by the caveat.
“I am concerned that citizens are suffering from acts of people who do not mean well to other Kenyans,” he explained.
In 2023, Kenya lifted part of the two-decade-old caveat on nearly 10,000 acres of Mau Forest. The caveat, imposed in 2001, affected 35,301 hectares in Kuresoi North, Kuresoi South, Njoro, and Molo regions to control human settlement as the population grew.
