Govt Addresses Fencing of 30,000 Hectares of Forest

The Ministry of Environment has flagged as fake a gazette notice that claims that the government is in the process of fencing Kaptagat forest in the Rift Valley.
In a statement on Tuesday, September 9, the ministry confirmed that it has issued no such directive, and the notice, which has been circulating on social media, aims to mislead the public.
The ministry has urged the public to ignore the social media posts, stressing that such communications from the ministry are strictly done through official government communication channels.
“The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change,  Forestry wishes to alert the public that this purported Gazette Notice circulating online is FAKE. No such notice has been issued. Kindly disregard & rely only on official Govt. communication channels,” the Ministry stated.
According to the fake notice, the government was in the process of fencing the forest in a bid to safeguard the forest from encroachments and other illegal activities.
The fake notice claimed that the fencing of the forest was going to commence on Tuesday,  September 9, and would be carried out in phases.
Kaptagat Forest is located in the Elgeyo-Marakwet and Uasin Gishu counties, about 24 kilometers east of Eldoret town.
Apart from serving as a vital water catchment area and a habitat for biodiversity, the forest is also used by athletes for training.
Last year, President William Ruto said that the government would oversee the nationwide fencing of forests and habitats of wildlife in the next five years.
Speaking in Laikipia County in April 2025, Ruto directed the Ministry of Environment to work jointly with the Ministry of Tourism to map all the areas that need to be fenced and furnish the government with the amount needed for the exercise.
Ruto asserted that the fencing of the forest will not onlypreserve the ecological integrity of the forestsbut also prevent human-wildlife conflict.
“Do mapping of all areas that require mapping so that we ensure that in the next five years, we can fence off all the areas to eliminate human-wildlife conflict. Tell us how much is needed and how much distance will be covered,” Ruto stated.