The Kenyan government has paid out Sh2.6 billion to roughly 13,000 families who were evicted from the Mau Forest complex, according to the-star.co.ke. The payment, reported on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, is intended to close the chapter on a long-running and contentious eviction process.
President William Ruto’s administration made the disbursement as part of a broader effort to resettle those affected, the outlet reports. The Star notes the payout marks a formal end to the evictions saga, which has been a source of political and social tension for years. The families receiving compensation were removed from forest land as part of government efforts to protect the water catchment area.
The Star’s reporting indicates the sum covers 13,000 families, though a separate headline from the same outlet references 1,300 families, and the Daily Nation adds a related detail: the government has purchased 5,800 acres of land to settle displaced persons, ending a 30-year dispute involving a former provincial commissioner named Cheluget. The land purchase appears to be a separate but connected measure to provide permanent homes for evictees.
Tuko News also covered the release of the funds, confirming the Sh2.6 billion figure and the 13,000-family count. The compensation follows years of legal battles and protests by those forced off the land, who had demanded both financial redress and alternative land.
The payments are a significant step toward resolving one of Kenya’s most persistent land disputes. What to watch next is whether the resettlement on the newly purchased acreage proceeds smoothly and whether all eligible families actually receive their full share.
