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Ogiek case postponed,
ruling party youths stone environmentalists
by John Kamau and Jennifer Wanjiru, Rights Features Service
(May 2, 2001)
The scheduled April 30 case for the Ogiek community failed to
start at the Kenyan High Court after Ogiek lawyer Kathurima M'Inoti
and the government counterpart Valerie Onyango sought more time.
Sources in
Nakuru say that the case may be heard on May 17.
Meanwhile,
Ogiek Welfare Council has shot down suggestions that they consolidate
their case with another case filed in the western Kenya town of
Eldoret that also stopped the proposed degazetment of about 10
percent of Kenya Forests. There has been suggestions from the
legal fraternity in Kenya that the forest cases be consolidated.
"We will
not accept that. Our is a different case," said Ogiek Welfare
Council spokesman Joseph Towett.
Meanwhile,
world-renowned environmentalist Prof. Wangari Maathai was yesterday
forced to seek shelter at a police station as unruly ruling party
youths stopped her entourage from inspecting the destruction of
Kaptagat Forest, on the northern side of Mau Forest — home
of the Ogiek community.
Policemen
stood by watching as the youths armed with whips, stones, and
knives blocked the road that leads to the forest and warned Prof.
Maathai that she would "see fire" if she dared to venture into
the forest.
Accompanied
by opposition legislator Tabitha Seii, who hails from the area,
Prof. Maathai was shouted down by the youths, who told her that
she was now in "Kanu zone and should leave immediately." Kanu
is President Daniel arap Moi's party, and its big shots have been
accused of being behind the continued destruction of forests in
the country.
During the
confusion, a Reuters news service cameraman was hit on the head
with a rock when he was spotted by the youths taking pictures
of the scuffle.
Surprisingly,
not even the local Division Officer, Tobias Ole Ngem, intervened
as the youths blocked the road despite the fact that he had a
team of Administration Police officers who were under his command.
Prof. Maathai
later accused the Keiyo District Commissioner, Joseph Amdany,
of failing to stop the continued destruction of forests in his
area because they were profiting from it.
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