Members of the Ogiek community resist being evicted from Mt. Elgon Forest

The Ogiek, an indigenous tribe living in Mt Elgon Forest say they are faced with a fresh round of evictions by the government to pave the way for the conservation of the water catchment area. The over 5, 000 members of the Ogiek community occupying the forest in Bungoma County expressed fear that Kenya Forest Service (KFS) guards were likely to torch their houses in a case that illustrates tensions between indigenous people’s land rights and conservation projects. Among the appeals the community is making is an immediate visit by a task force mandated with the responsibility of protecting forests and water towers formed by the Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko.