Residents warned against encroaching Mau Forest

Narok,

Friday, September 8, 2023

KNA by Ann Salaton/Amos Maine (Intern)

Narok County Commissioner Isaac Masinde has issued a warning to people encroaching Olposimoru forest in Narok North Sub County saying they risked being prosecuted in court of law.

Speaking during a public baraza at Naituyupaki location, the County Commissioner observed that the Ogiek community living in the part of Mau Forest was allowing people to encroach the forest by leasing and selling farming land to them.

“The people that enter the forest carry out illegal logging and burn charcoal. The government will not sit and watch as the forest land is destroyed,” he said.

Masinde called on the local politicians, religious and administrative leaders to step in and educate their people on the importance of conserving the forest and guard the mega water catchment land.

The chiefs were also directed to be vigilant and arrest any person found encroaching on the forest land.

“The Ogiek community that live in the forest land should not cultivate the land or burn charcoal. Their major economic activity is bee keeping as they guard the forest,” he said.

Masinde who was accompanied by the county security team led by Narok County Police Commander Kizito Mutoro asked the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to work closely with the County rangers to ensure that the forest is protected.

On his part, the area Member of the County Assembly Tumbes Kishoyian noted that the cause of encroachment was lack of clear boundaries pointing out that it been a while since the boundaries were defined.

Kishoyian pleaded with the County Commissioner to intervene and help the people through the Lands Department to properly mark the boundaries so as to solve the disputes and prevent encroachment.

“I urge you to be patient and wait for the government to put clear boundaries at the forest land. Meanwhile, no one should graze in the forest land,” the MCA said.

Naituyupaki location village elder Kasale Sonka pleaded with the office of the County Commissioner to hasten the process of boundary definition as it was making it hard for the residents to know where the forest starts.

Sonka appreciated the County Commissioner for intervening in the past saying he believed that even the boundary problem in the area would be solved.

In the year 2018 and 2019, the government evicted about 2, 200 families that had encroached parts of Maasai Mau forest so as to conserve the catchment land.

This year, various government agencies and well-wishers have planted over 4.2 million seedlings in Tendwet and Siera Leone part of Maasai Mau forest to restore the catchment land.

Courtesy; KNA