Mau settlers anxious over impending eviction

Mr Paul Gugo Leswakei, a resident of Kiptunga forest said the community has always depended on the forest and its resources and removing them would greatly interfere with their livelihood linked to hunting and gathering.

At Kiptagich, a village elder Mr David Sitienei said those being targeted are holders of title deeds. “It was agreed that they will be removed but first they must be compensated,” he said.

“They must be given an alternative land by the government because they acquired their land legally,” he added.

As if anticipating a negative response, the government has followed up the notice with a visit by top officials to reassure the residents that their interested would be taken care of and that they would not be forcefully evicted.

Forestry minister Noah Wekesa who visited Kiptunga forest on Wednesday together with three other ministers: Franklin Bett(Roads), John Munyes(Labour) Paul Otuoma (Fisheries) and assistant minister Josphat Nanok(Forestry), assured the settlers that they will not be forcibly removed from the land they occupy.

The minister said that the eviction process is a long process that involves enlightening the villages on the need to vacate the Mau for rehabilitation. “You will not be pushed out like criminals,” he said.

Roads minister Franklin Bett urged the settlers to stay put until their interests are fully catered by the government. He said that the law must be followed to the letter.

In the programme released by the secretariat, illegally excised but uninhabited land in Likia and Mariashoni areas of Eastern Mau Forest Complex will be the first to be returned to the government followed by South Western Mau where some 19,000 hectares are occupied by squatters. This is to be done by the first week of December.

The third, fourth and fifth phases of the programme will deal with settlers who hold genuine titles to the portions of land they occupied across the complex.

Due to the sensitive issue of sanctity of title deeds, the matter has been handed over to a team of legal experts who will guide the secretariat and government on how to repossess the land and work out the details pertaining to compensation.

“This is an area that requires closer attention as we are dealing with the issue of the sanctity of the titles,” Secretariat chairman Hassan Noor Hassan revealed at a recent briefing in Nakuru town.

Once every area is cleared of settlers, surveyors will move in to demarcate boundaries of the critical catchment areas to prevent future encroachment.

Mr Noor further revealed that a Joint Enforcement Unit has been established since July last year bringing together some 182 personnel from Kenya Wildlife Service, KFS, Administration Police and Narok County Council askaris to prevent any further encroachment and to deal with illegal loggers and charcoal burning. They are backed by a KWS helicopter

An additional 250 rangers are to be deployed on the ground to enhance patrols across the complex once settlers are all out and the restoration work started.

In the report compiled by the Prime Minister’s Task Force of Mau, Likia is listed as having been sub-divided into 1395 parcels and Mariashoni, some 2,851 parcels.