Elgeyo Saw Mills and Land Ownership in Elgeyo Marakwet County

 By William Kiptoo

Image: AI

Elgeyo Saw Mills originated within Kenya’s colonial forestry economy when British settlers and administrators exploited high altitude forests in the Rift Valley for commercial timber. The Elgeyo Escarpment and the Cherangany Hills were used for timber extraction due to the presence of indigenous hardwoods such as cedar and podo, alongside planted softwoods introduced through colonial forestry policies.

The land where the mill was later established formed part of a settler owned farm of about 4,900 acres held by a European settler identified as Captain Kenneth Rawson Shaw or (Shown Show). The property lay along the boundary of present day Elgeyo Marakwet and Uasin Gishu counties and was located near forest reserves that supplied timber. 

During the colonial period, timber production supported railway construction, settler housing, and export markets. Local Keiyo and Marakwet communities were excluded from ownership and mainly provided labor after displacement from forest and grazing areas.

After independence in 1963, land transfer and resettlement programs led to the subdivision of large settler farms. In 1965, most of the Shown Show farm was sold to local residents, while 318 acres were retained as an industrial timber processing site operating under the name Algao Saw Mills.

The facility was later renamed Elgeyo Saw Mills to reflect its location. Ownership remained under private control rather than community management.

The mill employed workers in transport, machinery operation, carpentry, and casual labor. It contributed to the growth of nearby settlements, schools, and trading centers, including the naming of Elgeyo Sawmills as a locality.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, the mill operated within the regional timber industry under government forest allocation systems and licensed logging. Its operations were linked to forest management policies, including the shamba system, which allowed cultivation alongside tree planting and was associated with forest degradation.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a government ban on logging in natural forests reduced timber supply. By 2001, the mill was operating below capacity and faced possible closure.

Ownership of Elgeyo Saw Mills changed over time among private investors. One of the most recent operators identified in public reporting is Gill Singh.

By the 2010s and early 2020s, parts of the original mill land became disputed. Community groups, including the Kaplolo Kapchemutwa Sacco, raised concerns that land linked to the mill was being sold to individuals without local consent. 

In 2025, a dispute involving 318 acres associated with the mill drew public attention. Allegations of coerced sales, political involvement, and claims of historical land injustice were raised by community representatives.

Sections of the former mill land were also designated for a County Industrial Aggregation Park. This led to legal action by Elgeyo Agripark Saw Mills Limited, previously known as Hekiro Limited, which challenged compulsory acquisition by government authorities.

In November 2025, the Kenya Land Acquisition Tribunal ruled that parts of the acquisition process did not meet constitutional requirements. The tribunal awarded damages to the company and cited procedural failures