Raila strikes Mau deal with Rift Valley MPs

• PM promises payoff for settlers but Big Name grabbers will go away with nothing

Illegal settlers will be paid to leave Mau Forest, according to an agreement reached between Prime Ministers Raila and Rift Valley MPs.

Those who were illegally given land in the forest as well as those who got theirs in the proper way will all be paid.

Besides the compensation, another Sh38 billion will be needed to rehabilitate the destroyed forest, which is also one the country’s five main sources of water.

Mr Odinga met the 22 MPs for two and half hours on Monday afternoon and reached the deal after heated arguments.

Agreement

A donor will be identified to pay for the project, according to the agreement.

The PM had left the special Cabinet meeting earlier to meet the MPs.

Prominent people who own thousands of acres of land and have established homes in the area will, however, not be paid a coin.

The decision to pay illegal settlers was a concession Mr Odinga made to the MPs who included Cabinet ministers William Ruto, Henry Kosgey, William Ntimama, Hellen Sambili, Sally Kosgei, Franklin Bett and James Orengo before the deal could be struck.

According to a briefing by a senior civil servant who attended the meeting but who is not authorised to speak to the media, Mr Odinga agreed to look for money locally and overseas to save the Mau.

The final decision on the deal will be made when the PM presents the report of the task force on the Mau to the Cabinet for approval and to Parliament for debate.

Mr Odinga is said to have briefed the MPs on the recommendations made by the task force which included eviction of settlers without title deeds, establishment of the Mau Forest Complex Authority to manage the rehabilitation programme and pegging compensation to two and half acres.

Chepalungu MP Isaac Rutto presented the MPs’ demands. Among them was a government commitment to compensate squatters, that there would be no forceful evictions, that there would be “structured talks” with the local leaders, marking of boundaries and registration of genuine squatters among others.

Mr Rutto also agreed that squatters ought to leave the forest and called for immediate action against loggers and charcoal burners.

Narok South MP Nkoidilas ole Lankas recommended that holders of both lawful and irregular title deeds be compensated.

Mr William Ruto, asked the Prime Minister for a clear time-frame for the planned evictions, including steps being taken by the government to compensate those to be evicted.

According to MPs who attended the meeting but who did not want to be quoted discussing confidential issues, the Rift Valley legislators questioned the government’s commitment to the Mau, wondering why not a single shilling had been spent on its rehabilitation.

According to one MP, Mr Ruto told Mr Odinga that there was a need to resolve the Mau issue once and for all and that the people needed to know when they would be moved, where they will be resettled and when they will be compensated.