NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 26 – President William Ruto has declared the long-running Mau Forest evictions issue closed after 13,000 evictees in Narok South received Sh200,000 each in compensation.The payout marks a major development in the government’s efforts to address the plight of families displaced during evictions from the Mau Forest as part of efforts to protect the water tower.Ruto has previously said the government would compensate thousands of families affected by the evictions. In March, he announced that 12,000 additional evictees would be compensated after an earlier phase in which 2,000 families received Sh300,000 each to leave the forest and acquire land elsewhere.The latest compensation means Sh2.6 billion has been disbursed to the 13,000 beneficiaries at Sh200,000 per person.The President has maintained that the Mau Forest must remain protected and should no longer be used as a political issue. During his recent tour of Narok, Ruto said the government had secured the forest through the issuance of a title deed and would continue protecting it, including through plans to fence parts of the water tower.The compensation comes after years of complaints by Mau evictees over delays in receiving government assistance. In February, some displaced families accused the government of failing to honour earlier compensation commitments, with representatives even marching from Narok South towards Nairobi to seek the President’s intervention.Narok Governor Patrick ole Ntutu had previously called for all verified evictees to receive their rightful compensation, warning against interference or mismanagement of the funds.The government has also been addressing other long-running land disputes in Narok. Last week, Lands and Physical Planning Principal Secretary Nixon Korir announced that the Cheluget land dispute had been resolved, paving the way for title deeds for thousands of families living on the property.The latest compensation is expected to bring relief to thousands of families who have lived with uncertainty since their eviction from the forest, while reinforcing the government’s position that the Mau Forest will remain protected as a critical water catchment.Ruto has previously said the controversy surrounding the Mau Forest should no longer be politicised, insisting that the government’s conservation measures are intended to safeguard the water tower for future generations.