Residents protest plans to allegedly convert resettlement land into conservancy
Rift Valley
By
Michael Saitoti
| Oct 21, 2025
Residents of Kirimon in Laikipia County are protesting against plans to allegedly convert 10,000 acres of land designated for their resettlement into a conservancy.
They claim that the Laikipia County Government intends to repurpose the land, currently managed by the Livestock Management Department.
The residents led by Josephat Lesila, said that President William Ruto promised to resettle them on the land, but some officials in the county want to shortchange them.
“The president was clear about his intention to offer residents this land for resettlement. The county government has not conducted any public consultations regarding the conversion of the land into a conservancy,” he said.
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Lesila further alleged that the county government has allocated only 4,000 acres of land for their resettlement, claiming that the amount is insufficient.
“The president promised us 10,000 acres, while the county says it wants to convert 6,000 acres into a conservancy. They have not involved us in that decision,” Lesila told journalists on Tuesday.
He accused certain politicians of conspiring to deny landless families a place to live and emphasised that they would not allow anyone to interfere with the land. Mary Lengaa, a resident, said that they have been waiting for over 40 years to be resettled on this land.
“Our grandparents and parents are buried here. This is our land. We call on President Ruto to fulfil his promise to the people of Kirimon by issuing us title deeds,” Lengaa said.
She insisted that a conservancy is not their priority, arguing that there is enough land elsewhere in the region to establish one.
Simon Lepina, another resident, argued that when President Ruto announced their settlement on the 10,000 acres, he had allocated sufficient land for the conservancy.
“We do not want politicians interfering with the government’s plans to resettle us. We urge Sarah Korere, who has supported us, to continue pursuing this matter to its conclusion,” Lepina said.
Raphael Leseketeti appealed to the President to intervene in the matter.
“We plead with President Ruto to expedite the process of issuing title deeds to those who are to benefit from the land,” Leseketeti said.
Land officials in the Laikipia County government declined to comment on the issue, saying it is being handled by the governor’s office.
Governor Joshua Irungu could not respond to inquiries on the matter.