Armed youths disrupted a meeting convened by the Saboat elders in Mt Elgon to discuss the plan to cut down a huge fig tree at Cheptais Primary School.
The public participation exercise held on Sunday over the cutting down of the tree as directed by the Kitale Environmental Court aborted after the youths stormed in.
Youths armed with rungus pounced on people, forcing police to fire in the air to disperse the rowdy crowd.
It took the intervention of Cheptais Deputy County Commissioner Philip Sigei to restore order before announcing that the meeting had been postponed to a later date.
The official urged organisers of the event to go back to court and obtain directions on who is supposed to convene the meeting.
“Residents were expected to give views on the removal of the said fig (Mukuyu) tree. However, we noticed the court order issued by a Kitale Environmental court did not specify who was to lead the public participation. The order just indicated that public participation was to be done and security provided, and that’s why we have requested them to go back to court and get the missing details since every meeting must have a chairman,” Sigei noted.
The tree, believed to be over 100 years old, has stirred controversy, with area MP Fred Kapondi opposing its removal, warning that attempts to excavate the site or hold traditional ceremonies could destabilise the fragile peace in the region.
“The focus should be on peace and development, not digging up old beliefs that may stir tension. Let’s not allow outsiders to mislead our people with myths that won’t bring development in the region. If you want to empower yourself or become rich, you must invest in coffee farming, dairy farming, and business and educate your children, among other projects,” said Kapondi.
He further noted that people with ill motives must stop lying to locals to walk with rungus, which they allege are a source of wealth.
“We must end superstitions that make us poor and focus on development. Telling us that uprooting Mukuyu trees will bring wealth is a total lie. As environmental champions, we must continue planting trees, and we cannot allow even a single tree to be cut. Let’s enlighten our people on the importance of planting more trees and protecting the indigenous trees. What is the intention of people being ferried from Trans Nzoia to come here in the name of public participation on a Mukuyu tree, and yet the locals here in Mt Elgon have been left out?” Kapondi posed.
Seeking directions on who should lead the public participation on the removal of the Mukuyu tree is expected to be presented in court on November 25, 2025.
According to Edwin Ngaina, the coordinator of the elders pushing for the felling of the tree, they claimed that there were objects buried beneath it during the colonial era to prevent the white man from seizing property, including minerals, and that unearthing them is a sign that wealth would return to the Sabaot community.
Some consider it sacred, while some claim that the tree has been used for witchcraft and may be the reason Cheptais has lagged behind in development.
“The elders had planned to reach a consensus before proceeding to remove the tree. What we want is peace. We wanted to get views from people before uprooting the tree. We want to appease our ancestors and dismiss the curse of Mt Elgon, and that can only be realised by the removal of the Mukuyu tree before we proceed to Trans Nzoia. Also, a section of the tree has fallen and can cause injuries to people passing on the road or learners in the school,” he said.
Last year, two opposing sides emerged over whether the tree should be uprooted or not.
The mukuyu tree has wide roots deep into the soil, and its branches stretch over. Locally known as Mokoyweet, the Mukuyu was revered as a sacred site. Some of its branches have fallen off, and some elders want to perform cleansing rituals to heal the land and lift misfortunes the community has faced.
