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Ogiek seize survey
equipment, youth detained
by
John Kamau, Rights Features Service
(January
22, 2001) Despite a denial by the Kenyan government that its surveyors
had not invaded the controversial Ogiek land to demarcate it,
Ogiek youths last week seized survey equipment in the East Mau
forest. The equipment was being used to demarcate
East Mau Forest despite a court order.
Meanwhile,
police in the area have arrested one Ogiek youth, Dominic Maritim
Wilson Monoso, and detained him at Elburgon Police Station. They
are demanding to know where the equipment is.
Monoso was
expected to appear in court today, but he was still detained with
no charges.
The Ogiek
Welfare Council said today that Monoso has been tortured to reveal
the whereabouts of the equipment and feared that the police might
continue to torture him.
"We have
the equipment and we will hand them over to the [Nakuru District
Commissioner], James ole Sirian, to prove that we [are] right.
We have not stolen them, we just want to know who were these surveyors,"
said the Council. The Council says the seizure of the equipment
is the only evidence it has to show that demarcation has started
in their East Mau ancestral land.
Last week
the region's government administrator, Sirian, was quoted in a
local daily denying the presence of surveyors in East Mau forest
— a denial which was quickly dismissed
by the Ogiek leaders as "insincere."
In an exclusive
interview with Rights Features Service, Ogiek spokesman Joseph
Towett today demanded the release of Monoso if he is not charged
with an offense.
"They have
tortured him to force him name the other people who participated
in seizing the equipment, I spoke to him at the police station
and he is still strong," said Towett. "He told me he will not
give in to their demands."
The spokesman
said that they would take the equipment to the district commissioner
(DC) for safe custody. "We will then produce them in court as
evidence that government officials are flouting the court order
that no demarcation should take place until the Ogiek cases are
heard and determined," said Towett.
Reliable
sources in Nakuru district say that Monoso might be charged with
assault and "stealing government equipment."
But there
is fear that the case might open a Pandora's box on what the surveyors
were doing inside the Ogiek ancestral land.
"Either the
DC was lying or we have private surveyors doing the demarcation,"
said Towett.
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