Kaptagat Forest Fence: Project Facts, Community Concerns and UNDP Review
By Kelvin Kibet | Updated October 9, 2026
Kenya Forest Service (KFS) began construction of a 273-kilometre electric fence around the Kaptagat Forest Ecosystem in July 2026. The Government says the project is intended to protect the forest and water catchment from illegal logging, encroachment and other pressures. Some local residents have raised concerns about access, consultation and the effects on customary use of land and forest resources.
What the project is meant to do
The State Department for Forestry describes the fence as part of conservation work around the Kaptagat ecosystem. In June, the Chief Conservator of Forests told the Kenya News Agency that the design was intended to retain community access through controlled gates and entry points. The fence’s actual effects on access and livelihoods will depend on how those arrangements work in practice.
What the community complaint says
The Keiyo Indigenous Community submitted a complaint to the UN Development Programme’s Social and Environmental Compliance Unit (SECU). The complaint alleges that UNDP-supported forestry and land-restoration projects around Kaptagat, including fencing, proceeded without adequate participation or free, prior and informed consent; it also raises concerns about ancestral land, burial sites, forest use and livelihoods. These are the requesters’ allegations, not findings by UNDP or a court.
UNDP’s case registry lists the matter as open—investigation. The case was found eligible in June, and terms of reference for an investigation were recorded in July. No final compliance report or decision was listed in the registry when this article was updated on October 9.
What has been reported locally
In July, The Star reported protests in Kitany and damage to part of the fence in Sabor. That report also carried the Government’s position that KFS held public participation meetings before construction and that residents could retain controlled access. Protests or damage reported in particular locations should not be treated as the view of every resident in the wider area.
What to watch next
The unresolved questions are practical: where the gates and access routes will be, how grazing and other lawful forest uses will be handled, and whether the UNDP investigation substantiates any breach of its safeguards. The registry is the best place to follow that process; it does not replace any separate Kenyan legal or administrative process.
