Mau settlers troop out as forest force arrives

• Defiance ends as the squatters’ exodus to camps begins amid alternative land pleas

Some of those interviewed said they had lived in the forest for decades and evicting them had left them as internally displaced persons.

“We are not against moving out, but where to?” asked Mr David Ng’eno.

He showed a number of land allocation cards from the government indicating that the owners had been given five acres each within the Ndoinet Settlement Scheme. Most of the cards were issued through the Nakuru district commissioner’s office in 1996.

“We need help from the government. We have documents showing we were genuinely given the land.”

Ms Sabina Boses, a mother of six, said the five acres she lived on was her family’s only possession. She asked the government to consider giving those affected alternative land. “Even if we are given half an acre, it will be enough place to put my head,” she said.

Earlier, Mr Isaac Wafula, the Ndoinet Forest Officer, said the settlers had started filing out after the arrival of the officers.

“They may not be moving out en masse, but once a few started moving out, the message sunk that there was no other alternative and the others are following suit,” he told the Nation.

The government had announced that it would begin evicting the settlers yesterday, the first step in reclaiming part of the 400,000 hectare forest complex, an important source of water for the country.

On Tuesday, Wildlife minister Noah Wekesa said the first phase of the eviction targets 16,000 families on 19,000 hectares. The Kenya Forestry Service says the families have no documents and no right to be in the forest.