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Two Ogiek killed in violent land
clash
12 October 2006
Two Ogiek have died after several days of violent clashes between
Ogiek and a neighbouring tribe, the Kipsigis (Kalenjin).
Violence erupted in the Rift Valley province on 7 October after
some Kipsigis stole sheep belonging to an Ogiek man.
One of the dead Ogiek is alleged to have been killed by a Kipsigis
policeman. More than 30 Ogiek houses have been burned and at least
12 Ogiek injured.
Kiplagat Cheruyot of the Ogiek Peoples Development Program says,
‘Today's skirmishes are about land and resources and we wish to
state that Ogieks have fundamental rights to own land in Kenya…
The Government should give Ogieks and other minority tribes legal
recognition over their ancestral land to end invasions by other
communities.’
According to the Ogiek People's Development Program nearly 100
Kipsigis and three Ogiek have been arrested so far.
The Ogiek have campaigned for years for their ancestral land to be
legally recognised by the government. As it has no legal
protection, Ogiek land has been invaded by outsiders who are
destroying the forest and building settlements.
Ogiek leaders have issued urgent appeals to the government to
protect them as they are a minority tribe and to settle all land
disputes and encroachment on their forests immediately.
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