Ijara leaders fault State over Boni Forest gazettement

Hundreds of people at Ijara CDF Hall in Masalani on Friday follow proceedings during a public hearing by the parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural resources. PHOTO | ABDIMALIK HAJIR | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Locals told the committee on Friday that the forest is the source of livelihood for thousands of people who use it as grazing land for their livestock.
  • The government gazetted Boni Forest on March 4, 2016.
  • Ijara MP Ahmed Ibrahim Abass petitioned the National Assembly for the revocation of the gazette notice.

The State gazetted a section of Boni Forest in Ijara Constituency in total disregard of the communities living there and without consulting them, a parliamentary committee has been told.

Locals told the committee on Friday that the forest is the source of livelihood for thousands of people who use it as grazing land for their livestock.

The forum was led by local political leaders and members of civil society who spoke before the parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources in Masalani.

Garissa Senator Mohamed Yussuf Haji and the area MP Ahmed Ibrahim Abass criticised the State for hiving off prime land without consulting the community.

Mr Haji told the committee that the purported meeting with the community that took place in the year 2003 was untrue as he was the area MP.

He said the government had acted with impunity by gazetting the land.

“This land is the lifeline of people living in Ijara as its grazing land, currently all livestock are in the forest because of the dry season.

As the leaders we would like the committee to recommend the immediate de-gazettement of the forest,” the Garissa senator told the House committee.

PACKED HALL
Hundreds of locals packed the constituency’s CDF Hall for the public hearing before seven members of the House committee including its chairman Wilberforce Otichilo (Emuhaya), Hassan Dukicha (Galole), Shukran Gure (Garissa Women Rep) and Sonia Birdi (Nominated).

Others were Samuel Ndiritu (Gilgil), Moitalel Ole Kenta (Narok North) and Chachu Ganya (North Horr.
The government gazetted Boni Forest on March 4, 2016. Ijara MP Ahmed Ibrahim Abass petitioned the National Assembly for the revocation of the gazette notice.

The lawmaker said in his petition to Parliament that the State had contravened Article 69(1) (d) requiring public participation in environmental management.

Mr Abass said no government agency or official can take community land without the involvement of the indigenous people as they are directly affected by the action.

“We were told there were 14 meetings that led to the gazettement of the land but what we are wondering is that no one in the constituency is aware of any such meeting.

“We won’t accept any inch to be taken…not even the President can force the gazettement of community land,” he told the committee.

Speaking on behalf of the civil society, Mrs Fatuma Kinsi, the founder of Pastoral Girls Initiative (PGI) told the committee that the community sees the gazettement as a continuation of a long history of injustices that they faced during past regimes.

She said the recent Kenya Gazette notice by the Inspector-General of police declaring the area as “dangerous” has made life difficult for the communities as the Kenya Defence Force has restricted the community.

“It is our humble request the National Assembly Committee on Environment recommends the revocation of the Gazette Notice No. 22, Vol. CXVIII dated 3rd February 2016 as it is a violation of the land rights of the Somali and Aweer communities as provided under Article 63 of the Constitution, she said.

The committee chairman told locals the committee had listened to their concerns and would consider all their views in their recommendations to Parliament.