The Cherangani Hills are a highland massif straddling West Pokot and Trans-Nzoia counties, forming one of Kenya's five major water towers. The range provides water to multiple river systems, protects diverse ecosystems, and has been home to Sengwer indigenous communities for centuries. However, the Cherangani forest is also a site of ongoing conflict over conservation, indigenous land rights, and state authority, with the Sengwer community facing persistent pressure from the Kenya Forest Service.
Key Facts
- Located in West Pokot and Trans-Nzoia counties, forming a highland massif rising above surrounding lowlands
- One of Kenya's five water towers, alongside Mount Kenya, the Aberdares, the Mau, and Mount Elgon
- Primary source of water for multiple river systems serving the region
- Home to diverse forest ecosystems with wildlife and botanical diversity
- Embobut Forest within the Cherangani range is gazetted as a protected forest reserve
- Sengwer indigenous community has inhabited the Cherangani forest for generations
- Site of ongoing eviction campaigns by the Kenya Forest Service(KFS)
Water Tower Function
The Cherangani Hills capture moisture-laden winds, experience high rainfall, and feed multiple river systems. Water from the range supplies communities and ecosystems across the surrounding arid and semi-arid lowlands. This water tower function is critical for regional water security.
The Sengwer and Embobut Forest
The Sengwer are an indigenous community who have lived in the Embobut and other Cherangani forests for centuries, hunting, gathering forest products, and practicing small-scale cultivation. The forest is integral to Sengwer culture, economy, and identity.
The Eviction Crisis
In recent years, the Kenya Forest Service has intensified efforts to evict the Sengwer from Embobut Forest, citing conservation needs and the legal principle that gazetted forests are state property with no legitimate human residence. The evictions have involved:
- Forcible removal of Sengwer families from their homes
- Occasional violent confrontations between KFS officials and Sengwer residents
- Offers of compensation(KES 410,000 per family in 2013) that Sengwer argue are inadequate to relocate far from ancestral lands
- Repeated cycles of eviction and reoccupation
International Attention
The Sengwer evictions have drawn criticism from:
- Amnesty International(documenting alleged excessive force and flawed due process)
- UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples(expressing concern about forced evictions and lack of consultation)
- Human rights organizations arguing the evictions violate Kenya's constitution and international law
Competing Narratives
The Kenya Forest Service and conservation advocates argue that:
- Embobut Forest is legally gazetted and must be protected from human settlement
- Forest degradation has occurred and human presence prevents recovery
- Evictions are necessary for conservation of endangered species and ecosystem function
The Sengwer and their advocates counter that:
- The Sengwer have stewarded the forest sustainably for centuries
- Illegal logging by outside actors(KFS colluded) is blamed on the Sengwer
- Forced eviction violates indigenous rights and Kenya's constitution
- The Sengwer have nowhere else to go and eviction means economic and cultural destruction
Status as of 2026
As of early 2026, the Sengwer eviction crisis remains unresolved. The Sengwer continue to resist eviction, some remain living in the forest despite official evictions, and the case raises fundamental questions about indigenous rights, conservation, and state authority in Kenya.
Related
Cherangani Hills | Pokot | Marakwet and the Water Furrows | Fortress Conservation
See Also
Kalenjin Hub | Kericho County | Nandi County | Baringo County | Uasin Gishu County