Moi muddies the waters for Raila in Mau Complex

The planned eviction of settlers from Mau Forest received crucial political support this week after Kenya's President Kibaki urged Prime Minister Raila Odinga to move fast and clear government forests of all human habitation.

This was the second time in as many weeks that the President — officiating at the launch of the Prime Minister’s office’s strategic plan — was making his position on the Mau saga publicly known.

Last week, while opening the Mombasa International Show, he warned that people living in government forests would be arrested if they did not move out.

Removing settlers from the key water catchment area is widely believed to be important in conserving the country’s water towers.

However, it has tended to evoke political emotions with MPs from parts of Rift Valley Province resisting the plan fiercely.

Until recently, the President has been seen as playing it safe, letting Mr Odinga to feel the heat from his political allies-turned-critics.

The prime minister has said that he will next week release a programme for the evictions.

But the entry last week of retired President Daniel arap Moi in the controversial debate presents a fresh challenge to the government and its efforts.

The settlers and local leaders are apparently in a defiant mood after the retired president expressed his sentiments against the planned evictions. A section of the settlers who talked to the Sunday Nation vowed to stay put unless they are compensated.

“We have title deeds. Let the government come here and pay us (before we move),” said Mr John Samoei of Kalyasoi near Sierra Leone.

The area bore the brunt of similar evictions in 2005.

Mr Kipteigok Chumo, spokesman for the 2005 evictees, said people would only move out if they were compensated.

“Let them arrest the government officials who issued title deeds first, then the people who sold land to unsuspecting farmers, and then lastly the squatters,” he said.

Mr Chumo, who led the banana campaign in the area during the 2005 referendum, claimed he was with the President when he (the President) gave out 12,000 title deeds at Olenguruone in Kuresoi.

“In that case who will be arrested?” he asked.

Mr Chumo accused Mr Odinga of political witch-hunt. He claimed Mr Odinga was not sincere about environmental conservation and was instead on a revenge mission against senior people in the former Kanu government.

Retired chief Christopher Bore, who was a member of the task force appointed by the Prime Minister to assess the situation in Mau, said boundaries should first be drawn to establish the number of people affected.

Rose Mibei, 35, said on her farm near Sierra Leone that their house and other property had been burnt twice and each time they had to start from scratch.

Recently, local leaders who support the removal of settlers from the forest said communities affected by the degradation of Mau will protest if the government does not act soon enough to save the forest.

Led by Prof Meitamei Olol Dapash, the Narok North ODM Kenya branch chairman, the leaders said they were fully behind Heritage minister William ole Ntimama, who has called for the unconditional eviction of the settlers.

“Our people are suffering downstream; their animals are dying and our crops are failing. Yet, as others speak of compensation, nobody is thinking about them,” Prof Dapash said.

He added that the three-month period set by the government for the settlers to leave the forest was too long. “As we speak now, there is wanton destruction of the forest as loggers scramble for timber,” he said.

Councillor Salanket ole Nchoe criticised former President Moi for opposing the government’s decision to evict squatters from the forest. He said the council had the capacity to eject the settlers as it did in 2005.

“Had it not been for the bad politics of 2007 which returned squatters to the forest, the issue would by now be dead and buried,” he said.

Mr Francis Nkako, the managing director of Ewaso Ng’iro South Development Authority, welcomed the move saying it should have been done 20 years ago.

“I overflew the Mau yesterday and the situation is pathetic. Let the government move in urgently and recover whatever little remains of it,” he said.