Years of political debate over the Mau Forest could be coming to an end, with President William Ruto saying the government has formally secured the forest through a title deed and will take further steps to protect it from interference.
Ruto made the remarks on Tuesday while addressing residents during the first day of his two-day development tour of Narok. He said the government had moved to settle land ownership issues in areas around the forest while ensuring the Mau remains protected.
"This Mau has been politicised for many years. I told you that Mau would no longer be politicised," Ruto said.
The President said the forest now has its own title deed and is recognised as property belonging to the people of Narok County.
"We have now issued a title deed for Mau; it belongs to the people of Narok County and has its own title deed. No one will set foot on Mau again."
Ruto said securing the forest would also involve physical measures to keep it protected, including plans to put up a fence around the area.
“Mau is secure. What we will continue doing is putting up a fence because Mau is important. It brings us rain and is important for the environment,” he said.
He said the government had also made progress in addressing land ownership among people living near the forest, with almost all residents in the affected areas receiving title deeds.
“Almost all the residents who were living here have been given their title deeds, and we have also issued a title deed for Mau,” he said.
The President connected the land measures to efforts to deal with historical injustices that have affected communities in Narok over land ownership and access.
He pointed to the allocation of 10,000 acres at Kedong to residents as one of the steps taken by the government.
“On Kedong, I have set aside 10,000 acres for the people of Narok, and you continue with your property,” Ruto said.
He also mentioned measures involving land in Amboseli, saying the initiatives were part of wider efforts to respond to long-standing concerns over land in the region.
The Mau Forest has for years been at the centre of environmental and political discussions because of its importance as a major water source and the disputes that have surrounded settlement and conservation.
Ruto's comments came as he toured Narok, where he launched and inspected development projects and spoke to residents about land, infrastructure, electricity and agriculture.
During the tour, he said the construction of the Narok Airport was expected to be completed within two months. The Sh677 million project is expected to improve air access to the Maasai Mara and help support tourism.
Ruto also launched the Sh62 million Olposimoru Power Station in Narok West, which is expected to supply electricity to schools, trading centres and more than 300 households.
He further announced an additional Sh2.8 billion investment to connect another 15,000 households across Narok to electricity.