Stage set for eviction of Mau big shots

The process to recover hundreds of acres of land owned by former President Moi and other prominent beneficiaries of Mau Forest Complex started on Tuesday.

Permanent secretary Dorothy Angote (Lands) led top Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife officials and those from Local Government in launching the survey of a key part of the forest to set the stage for evictions.

The survey is a critical stage in the continuing implementation of Phase III Mau forest repossession, Mr Noor Hassan Noor, the chairman of Interim coordinating secretariat said.

The PSs for Local Government, Forestry and Wildlife and Lands will oversee the exercise in Maasai Mau, Oloposmuru, Trans Mara and Southwest Mau.

The Kiptagich Tea Factory which is partly owned by former President Moi is in Trans Mara.

Mr Noor said some 4,000 hectares of forest land in Maasai Mau had been encroached by companies and 1,000 hectares by individuals.

Some Sh20 million is to be used in survey work for Masai Mau, Oloposmuru, Trans Mara and Southwest Mau. In total Sh77 million is to be used for the survey of all the 22 blocks in Mau.

During the launch in Narok, it was announced that it will take 60 days to re-affirm the boundaries that existed in the affected areas through use of beacons before encroachment.

The third phase of the Mau conservation efforts entails recovery of titled forest land and is sensitive as some powerful individuals in the Moi regime are among those targeted for evictions.

Legal experts contracted by Mr Noor’s team are to work on mode of compensation for the individuals and other major private companies that are to be considered.

Politicians who have exchanged bitter words over the Mau evictions were kept out of yesterday launch as the government moved to take charge of the exercise.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga who led a high powered delegation in planting trees in parts of Mau last month has come under intense criticism from a group led by Agriculture Minister William Ruto over his push for removal of settlers from Kenya’s biggest water tower.

Eastern Mau, and Southwest Mau are the main catchment areas for River Sondu, River Mara, Lake Nakuru and River Molo.

These are critical for power generation at the multi-billion shilling Sondu Miriu power plant, the vast tea estates in Kericho and tourism and wildlife in Lake Nakuru, the Maasai Mara, Serengeti and Lake Baringo.

More than Sh283 million have been allocated for the conservation of Maasai Mau Forest, Mr Noor’s team has said.

The 46,000-hectare indigenous forest land is targeted in the third phase of the Mau Forest evictions. In total, the Mau Forest Complex totals 400,000 hectares.

A report by Mr Noor’s team which is driving the conservation efforts, shows that Spain has given Sh225 million through United Nations Environment Programme.

Some organisations -- including the Nation Media Group, Equity Bank, Kenya Wildlife Service, East African Breweries Ltd and Green Belt Movement -- are said to have committed Sh50 million for the restoration of the forest. Narok county council set aside Sh8.6 million.

“To date, they (the organisations) have already planted 25,000 trees in the Maasai Mau trust land,” the report says.

It further says the council was ready to start implementing the management plan of the forest, but settlers need to be moved and compensated first.