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Mau forest at risk as evictees
move back
November 8, 2007
EA STANDARD
By Kipchumba Kemei
Experts have warned of an environmental crisis following the
return of 10,500 evictees to Mau Forest.
An NGO, Friends of the Mau, said this would destroy the water
catchment and endanger the lives of thousands of people and
wildlife.
The evictees, some without title deeds, started trooping back to
the forest three weeks ago after President Kibaki promised to
resettle them.
Last month, Kibaki said the settlers would not be evicted until
the Government found alternative land.
But conservationists want them resettled elsewhere to save the
forest. Friends of Mau chairman, Mr Jackson Kamuye, said logging
and charcoal burning, among other activities, would destroy the
forest.
"We appreciate the evictees’ desire to have a place to call home,
but that should not be at the expense of the forest," he said.
He criticised the Government for dragging its feet over the
matter, saying a solution should have been found since the
eviction four years ago.
Kamuye said the forest was a source of 12 rivers. He accused the
Government of using the forest to woo the evictees to vote in its
favour in the General Election.
The return of the evictees has also put a Sh92 million project in
doubt. The Spanish government had donated the money for a
community conservation project.
The money was to be given through Unep, Kenya Forest Working
Group, Ewaso Nyiro South Development Authority and the Green Belt
Movement, among other conservationists.
But Ewaso Nyiro Managing Director, Mr Francis Nkako, said the plan
was still on. The project, he said, would include tree nurseries
in 24 schools.
"This is a three-year programme that will involve communities in
commercial tree planting," he added.
Narok County Council and other players are formulating a forest
management plan.
Investigations indicated that the settlers were felling trees for
firewood, building temporary shelters and burning charcoal.
Some claimed that many among them did not have valid claim to the
forestland.
A spokesperson for evictees, Mr Kipteigok arap Chumo, said they
would not vacate the forest until the Government gave them
alternative land.
"We will only move out if we are given land elsewhere. The
Government should also compensate us for the property we lost
during the eviction when our houses and crops were destroyed," he
said.
The evictees have been living in harsh conditions in market
centres since they were forced out of the forest. Many had
complained of lack of food, shelter and diseases, saying the
Government had abandoned them.
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