Tensions are running high at Keringani Group Ranch in Transmara South as over 500 youths from Imbolot village confront what they believe is a plot to illegally grab communal land bordering the Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

Armed with crude weapons, the youths have camped in nearby thickets to guard Parcels 22 and 117, which they say were reserved by elders for future community use but are now being sold without the community’s consent.

“This land was entrusted to us by our forefathers. Now we’re hearing it’s being sold without our knowledge or approval. We won’t stand for it,” said Emmanuel Moseka, one of the youth leading the vigil.

The disputed land spans more than 500 acres and has become the centre of a fierce standoff between locals and unknown individuals accused of working with powerful interests to seize it.

The situation has escalated with the deployment of General Service Unit officers to the area, which residents say is an attempt to silence and intimidate them.

“They claim the orders are from above. But who is that? Is it Murkomen? We deserve transparency,” posed Victor Olenchipai, as protesters questioned who sanctioned the security operation.

In defiance, the youth have pitched makeshift camps along the forest edge, where they cook, sleep and maintain round-the-clock patrols.

“Our chief has turned against us. He’s siding with outsiders who want to take our land. But we won’t go down without a fight. This isn’t just land it’s our legacy,” declared Joshua Kisiara.

With both county and national officials maintaining silence, residents say they fear the land is being handed over through secret arrangements and political betrayal.

The lack of official response has only deepened suspicion and fuelled the community’s resolve to resist any takeover.