Residents of Kajiado County, long burdened by wildlife encroachment and unresolved land disputes, may finally be relieved following the signing of new national laws aimed at protecting citizens from environmental, digital, and property-related threats.
President William Ruto signed the new laws into law, on October 15, 2025, marking a legislative shift aimed at strengthening citizen protections across multiple sectors. The signing, included seven key Acts addressing cybercrime, land management, wildlife compensation, police welfare, and public sector reforms.
Among the most impactful for Kajiado is the Wildlife Conservation and Management (Amendment) Act 2023, which expands compensation for injuries, deaths, and property damage caused by a wider range of animals including elephants, lions, hyenas, snakes, and wild dogs. This comes as a relief to communities living near Amboseli National Park in Loitoktok Sub-County, where wildlife frequently strays into homesteads, destroying crops, killing livestock, and threatening lives. The Kenya Wildlife Service will now be tasked with clearing a backlog of claims exceeding Sh2.6 billion, with verified victims eligible for up to Sh5 million in compensation.
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Equally significant is the National Land Commission (Amendment) Act 2023, which extends the commission’s mandate to investigate historical land injustices for five more years. In Kajiado, ancestral Maa land has been at the center of numerous disputes, with the Kibiko land saga in Ngong remaining one of the most contentious.
The extension allows for deeper review of past allocations and offers hope for communities seeking justice over irregular land transfers and dispossession.
Other laws signed by President William Ruto on October 15, 2025, include the Land (Amendment) Act 2022, which mandates the registration and gazettement of all public land to prevent future grabbing. This is particularly relevant in Kajiado, where developers have often failed to surrender land earmarked for schools, hospitals, and public amenities.
The Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 also introduces new powers to block websites and apps used for child exploitation, terrorism, and fraud.
Additional laws include reforms to police mental health support, the consolidation of tourism funds, and a new framework for privatizing state enterprises to bridge budget deficits.
By Masaki Enock
