News
Mau settlers troop out as forest force arrives
A day after a government quit notice expired, illegal settlers from South-western Mau troop out of the largest water catchment area in Kenya to pave the way for its Sh38 billion rehabilitation. Photo/Joseph Kiheri
Posted Wednesday, November 11 2009 at 22:00
In Summary
- Defiance ends as the squatters’ exodus to camps begins amid alternative land pleas
The flow of illegal settlers out of Mau Forest started on Wednesday, a day after the government deployed security officers ready to evict them.
The settlers, frightened by the show of force and a history of brutal evictions, appealed to the government to give them alternative land even as they packed their belongings, ready to leave.
Though there was panic in some of the villages, a full scale migration had not started. However, some settlers were already moving out.
Packing up
At Chematich and Tiriyta villages deep in Ndoinet forest, one of the areas targeted in the first phase of the evictions, farmers were packing up and moving away.
After weeks of dithering in the hope that the government’s resolve would crumble, the arrival of armed rangers in their villages seemed to have finally persuaded some villagers that there was little to be gained by staying on.
About 300 officers, the first batch of an eviction force, were deployed in the area on Monday and pitched two camps at Kapkembu and Saina in South-western Mau.
The officers maintained that their job was to provide security and that they would only kick out those who were reluctant to move.
A notice requiring the illegal settlers to move out of the largest water tower in Kenya, which measures about 400,000 hectares, expired on Monday.
Kenya Forestry Services director David Mbugua said the government chose South Western Mau for the start of the evictions because the settlers had no documents to back their occupation of the forest land.
The move also marked a crucial stage in the battle that Prime Minister Raila Odinga has fought to reclaim the water tower. Rift Valley MPs had earlier opposed the evictions of the settlers and demanded they be compensated before they could be ordered to leave.
Compensation
However, the settlers will now wait for the compensation as the government seeks to raise Sh38 billion to finance the evictions, compensation, planting of trees and fencing.
On Wednesday, a crowd of some 200 villagers gathered at an open field within Tiriyta farm, some 70 kilometres from Molo Town, from as early as dawn after word went round that the officers would be moving in to evict those who are still on their farms.
As fear of forceful eviction spread, the villagers came out with the little they could carry, leaving behind homes, property and a ripening maize crop.
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Always the poor and marginalized suffer - regardless of ethnicity. Kenyans, till our vision grows larger than our tribes their will always be room for politicians to misuse peoples sentiments at their convenience. We will keep admiring other nations for what they are achieving but we won't do what they do - make a fair attempt to provide for all equally.
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Rich politicians and the children of rich people are making bad and deadly decisions that are adversely affecting the peasants. This might just result in a French-like revolution, if it is not nipped in the bud, although the damage might have already be done. But it is not too late to correct such waton violations of fellow Kenyans' human rights, let alone fellow human beings irrespective of their tribe or home of origin. Where is this so-called international community? I am disgusted at the way we treat our very own people. Where is the VP?
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Take heart Mau residents. Your suffering will come to pass. Move out peacefully giving them no excuse to beat you destroy your property. Yes it is the same government that allotted you the plots. And they will allow you back in 2012 as they did in 2007. Then they will need your votes and the environment will not be so important. Fear of losing one million salary will make them sober in the minds. Your suffering shall not be for nothing for new settlers will join you.
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