Not us, Not our children: Kaptagat residents deny cutting forest fence

The residents were speaking following the vandalism of sections of the forest fence on the night of Tuesday, July 21, 2026 in Sabor Forest block, an incident they say has left the community shocked and concerned that years of collaborative conservation efforts involving the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and other partners could be undermined.

"Not us. Not our children," said Ben Serem, a resident of Lower Sabor in Kaptagat Ward.

Adding that "Here in Lower Sabor, Tendwo and Tembelion, we distance ourselves from the vandalism of the Kaptagat Forest fence. Our elders settled us here in 1965. We have supported the conservation of Kaptagat Forest and we strongly condemn the vandalism of the fence."

His sentiments were echoed by Gideon Kipchumba, a youth representative for the Sabor Forest Block in Kaptagat.

"As a youth leader here in Sabor, I want to make it clear that our young people did not cut the forest fence. I want to assure our elders and the Government that this was not done by the youth from this area. None of our young people participated in the demonstrations you are seeing. To those coming from outside and funding the destruction, we say, stop hiding in the darkness. Come during the day so that we can all see you and engage you on the importance and benefits of forest conservation."

Several residents who gathered to assess the damage maintained that the people of Kaptagat had invested years of effort in restoring a forest that was once on the brink of degradation and therefore had no reason to destroy infrastructure intended to protect it. They warned that political interference could reverse the conservation gains achieved over the past decade.

Politics is at play here. This has nothing to do with forest conservation. It is politics that has brought about the cutting of the fence. We are telling both the Government officials and politicians, do not bring your political battles here. Fight them elsewhere. We do not want your one-term or two-term politics in this community," said Kiptoo Motokaa, another resident who had joined Community Forest Association members and local leaders in assessing the damage.

The electric fencing programme, being implemented by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), began in the Lower Sabor section of Kaptagat Forest on 11 May 2026. Residents say the exercise had progressed peacefully in their area for more than two months, with no significant local disputes reported before the vandalism on Tuesday night.

Community members believe the incident does not reflect the views of the wider Kaptagat community and have called on the authorities to investigate those responsible.

"We have lived with this project since it started," said Caroline Biwott. "If there were concerns, they should be addressed through dialogue and public participation. Destroying public infrastructure is not how this community resolves differences. If there are people who feel they have not been adequately engaged, public participation can be undertaken again. If any resident of Kaptagat sees or hears anything suspicious, please report it."

"No dangerous wildlife will be introduced into the forest. The only 'wildlife' you are likely to encounter are cows, sheep and goats," she joked, drawing laughter from residents as she sought to reassure the community that the fencing programme was aimed solely at protecting and restoring the forest, not introducing dangerous animals.

Those who attended the meeting acknowledged that some people may have reservations about aspects of the fencing programme. However, they emphasised that the majority support the initiative because it will help prevent further encroachment while allowing degraded sections of the forest to regenerate naturally.

They say their support is rooted in more than a decade of community-led conservation, which has consistently promoted a people-centred approach and economic benefits to environmental restoration.

Rather than focusing solely on protecting trees, the programme sought to answer a simple but fundamental question: Why are people going into the forest? The response transformed conservation in Kaptagat. Instead of treating communities as part of the problem, conservation partners worked to improve livelihoods through investments in clean water, clean energy, agribusiness, alternative income opportunities and household resilience alongside extensive tree planting and forest restoration.

Residents say these efforts have strengthened community ownership of conservation and fundamentally changed attitudes towards the forest.

"We planted these trees. We restored these areas. We have worked hard to protect this forest," another resident said. "Why would we destroy infrastructure that is meant to safeguard what we have spent years rebuilding?"

Kaptagat has increasingly been recognised as one of Kenya's leading examples of community-centred conservation, where environmental protection is integrated with improved livelihoods. The people of Sabor say the fencing programme complements these long-term restoration efforts by protecting regenerating forest areas from renewed encroachment and safeguarding the environmental gains achieved over the past decade.

As investigations into the Tuesday night, 21 July 2026 vandalism continue, community members have appealed for calm and restraint, urging that any outstanding concerns be addressed through dialogue rather than the destruction of public infrastructure. They have also called on the Elgeyo Marakwet County Commissioner to convene an inclusive dialogue involving the Kenya Forest Service, Community Forest Associations, local leaders and residents to ensure that the conservation programme continues with broad community support