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Ogiek cultural show
cancelled again
by
John Kamau, Rights Features Service
(January
3, 2001) A much-publicized cultural
festival for Kenya's Ogiek indigenous people failed to take
off on New Year's Eve after police officers intimidated people
from attending.
"People were
literally intimidated from attending. The administration is using
all formulas to make sure that we do not hold this festival. But
we shall go ahead and organize it again," said Ogiek Welfare Council
leader Joseph Towett.
Towett told
the Nairobi-based Rights Features Service that police officers
toured the venue and surrounding areas on December 30 and 31 in
a show of force, and people feared that there might be confrontation.
"We are a
peace-loving community and that is why we called off the fete
until we get a clear go-ahead from the administration," said Towett.
A team of
journalists that had gone to the festival were shocked to find
only a few Ogiek at the site. Word had gone round that the police
would be sent from Elburgon to disrupt the fete.
The Elburgon
police division had earlier written to Towett demanding to know
which speakers they had invited, who will be attending, and whether
any human rights groups and churches had been invited.
The police
had also demanded to see a copy of the program, which was given
to them by the Ogiek Welfare Council officials who maintained
that this is purely a cultural day for the Ogiek.
On Wednesday,
January 3, the Ogiek leaders met with the Nakuru region District
Commissioner, who again demanded to know who is being invited
for the cultural festival and the number of speakers.
"We will
give them all the information they want. We are doing this in
the open and we hope they will allow us to honor the old men and
women who have retained the Ogiek culture despite all odds," said
Towett.
The intimidation
of the Ogiek is widely seen as part of a grand scheme to frustrate
the Ogiek Welfare Council from rallying the community in opposing
the continued destruction of Mau Forest, their ancestral land,
by logging companies.
This is the
second time the festival has been put off after the administration
interfered. During the last meeting the police agreed to let the
Ogiek conduct the festival after informing the police in advance.
"We informed
them about the date and we all agreed. Then they started demanding
to know who will attend, what will be spoken and by who?" says
an Ogiek spokesperson.
Whether the
festival will take place now remains to be seen. But the Ogiek
Welfare Council is determined to have the cultural show at Marioshoni
village.
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