The Ministry of Lands has confirmed that talks are actively underway to resolve the long-running land dispute in Narok County involving the family of ex-Nyanza PC Isaiah Cheluget and current occupants.
Dismissing reports in a section of the media as ‘misleading and sensational', Lands Principal Secretary Nixon Korir asserted that structured negotiations are ongoing that will see the government buy the land.
“Yes, we know Mr Cheluget died and it’s in the public knowledge. We’ve had several meetings with the family led by former PS Nancy Kirui Cheluget and her brothers,” he said.
“They are in agreement with what the President said, but something negative must be made by all means.”
Korir was responding to a report in a section of the media suggesting that President William Ruto allegedly lied to the residents over the matter.
While addressing residents at Sogoo in Narok, Ruto acknowledged challenges the residents occupying the land have undergone, including an imminent eviction.
In his address, the President revealed that the government intends to acquire the particular land from the family so that the current occupants remain on the 5,800-acre land permanently.
“We have held discussions with the Cheluget (family) and we have agreed as the government that we are going to buy that land and allocate it to those people so that they can continue living there,” he said.
Ruto directed the newly deployed Amalo Deputy County Commissioner to liase with the relevant departments to have the matter concluded immediately.
A total of 600 people have been living on the land for over 15 years now.
They are said to have forcefully entered the land around 1999 and 2000, subdivided it and started putting up structures.
What followed were court cases both in the High Court and the Court of Appeal, which have all been ruled in favor of the family.
Cheluget, the former powerful Nyanza PC died on June 26, 2027. He is said to have been allocated the land in 1997.
According to Korir, the government remains committed to finding a lasting and peaceful resolution of all historical land injustices in Narok.
The PS stated that the President’s remarks during his visit to the area were aimed at reaffirming the government’s dedication to securing a solution that respects the rights of all parties involved.
