Ogiek community plead not to be evicted from forest land

Narok,

Thursday November 2, 2023

KNA by Ann Salaton

The Ogiek community living in the Maasai Mau Forest have called on the government not to evict them from the forest land alleging they have no alternative land to move to.

The community’s Council of Elders chairman Wilson Memusi said they have lived in the forest land since the days of their forefathers, adding that forest land is the only place they have known as home.

“We have been keen to control people from entering the forest land. We have always worked with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to protect the forest,” said Memusi.

Mzee Memusi said though they began as five families, they have now increased to over 766 families that have spread in the forest land.

“I want to confirm that all those living in the Sasiswan part of the forest are the Ogiek community. We have lived there for over 170 years since the days of our forefathers,” he said.

He said the community do small-scale farming in the forest land so as to get money to pay for their children's school fees and get food but said they were ready to stop farming if the government directs so.

“When the government started evicting people from the forest land, we were worried that we too could be affected, I plead with the government not to evict us,” said the 69-year-old man.

Mzee Memusi plea comes few days after the government commenced the process of evicting people from the Olokurto and Oloropik part of Maasai Mau Forest.

The process being led by Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Dr Abdi Hassan has seen over 3, 000 people removed from forest land and over 300 houses destroyed.

The RC announced that government surveyors will be camping in the county to establish the clear boundaries at Sasiwan and Nkaretta parts, which will then follow evictions.

An environmentalist Meitamei Ole Dapash called on the government to give those evicted from the forest land alternative land because they have no other land to go.

Courtesy; KNA