Yaaku Indigenous Peoples in Kenya faced with violence, property theft and forced displacements, say Indigenous group

Today, (9 February), the East Africa Indigenous Women-Led Assembly (EAIWA) released a statement condemning planned evictions in Mukogodo forest that would force the Yaaku Indigenous Peoples to vacate their lands ahead of a government-planned security operation. They also sent a letter to the Ministry of Interior and National Administration in Kenya highlighting their concerns about violence and human rights abuses, which have led to loss of life and theft of livestock. 

From the 21 to 28 January, 2026, the EAIWA report that raids by 'bandits' have resulted in the death of 10 Yaaku community members and the theft of nearly 3000 livestock. When some of the community went to retrieve the stolen livestock on 29 January, one community youth was killed by the armed attackers. 

In their letter to the government, the EAIWA have set out clear actions that the Kenyan government could reasonably be expected to take in response to this action. They also question the labelling of these groups as ‘bandits’ when they are an “organised and well-resourced group of combatants, which we fear may be better described as militia”. 

“Blanket eviction orders that fail to distinguish between armed criminals and Indigenous communities constitute collective punishment and place Yaaku Indigenous families at grave risk of displacement, violence, and long term land loss.”

- EAIWA Statement

The Yaaku people have cared for their ancestral lands for centuries despite ongoing marginalisation. The EAIWA state that if their lands are legally recognised under the Kenyan 2016 Community Land Act, and are provided with adequate support, they can ensure the continued long-term stability of these lands.