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Index of this compilation
Lawyer claims death threat on
Ogiek land - 26.03.2004
Finally, Ogiek to get title
deeds - 29.03.2004
Statement by Kiplangat Cheruiyot
Peter, Coordinator CEL-Kenya
Statement OPNA
and ORIP
Forest settlers face eviction
Latest Update:
27.05.2004
Timber
firms accused of corruption
DAILY
NATION 27 May 2004
Managers
of leading timber
firms were accused of bribing government officials to allow them
to deplete forests.
Mr.
John Sambu (Mosop, Kanu ), claimed the managers were loading
briefcases with money and taking them to senior Ministry of
Environment and Natural Resources officials so that they could
turn a blind eye on their activities.
Mr.
Sambu named Pan Paper, Timsales Timber and Rai ply as some of the
firms involved.
Asked
to substantiate or withdraw the claim by Mr. Gor Sunguh (Kisumu
Town East, Narc), the Kanu MP said he knew what he was talking
about recalling that he was sacked by former President Daniel Arap
Moi in 1996 for protesting against the same issue.
He
was contributing to debate on the Forest Bill moved by Environment
minister Newton Kulundu on Tuesday.
Supporting
the Bill, Co-operative Development assistant minister Peter
Kenneth asked Mr. Sambu had failed to share with MPs his
frustration as Environment Minister during his tenure.
Mr.
William Ole Ntimama (Narok North Narc) said the Tanzania
government may soon make a formal protest because of Mau forest.
MPs
were up in arms over the manner in which Councils used the Local
Authorities Transfer fund.
They
accused the local Government ministry of allowing councils to
divert the funds to paying salaries and other activities unrelated
to it’s objective.
Assistant
minister Betty Tett caused uproar when she said that at times
councils used the money to pay salaries.
06.05.2004
Dear All,
The Ogiek are celebrating after the NARC gov't sacked the Officer of the Commanding Police Division
(OCPD) of Narok District.
It is in todays Kenya newspapers that Mr.Joseph Mutuku Munyao has been shown the door.
The Ogiek welcome the gov't move since the officer has been harasing Ogiek leaders in Narok.
Also he failed to arrest and charge the man who intimidated lawyer
Charles Sena with a gun.
Witnesses were there but he liaised with the person and released him since the
person is a brother to a Hon. Member of Parliament from the former regime.
It is clear that the gov't of Kenya is transparent through the new police commissioner.
LONG LIVE NARC AND LONG LIVE OGIEK
Best Regards
Kiplangat Cheruiyot
Abode Fide Human Rights Monitor
06. 05. 2004
22.04.2004
Forest settlers face eviction
Published: 04/22/2004 Daily
Nation
By: SIMON SIELE
Speculators occupying Government
forest land in the Mau settlement scheme will be evicted, the
provincial administration has warned.
Rift Valley deputy provincial
commissioner Benjamin Rotich warned especially families
occupying water catchment areas.
He was speaking during a visit to
the forest by a team that will oversee land allocation in the
scheme.
Those targeted are families
illegally occupying Logman and Kiptegel. They encroached on the
forest when the Government established the scheme for squatters,
mainly from the Ogiek community.
Mr Rotich, accompanied by Nakuru
district commissioner James Mwaura, surveyors and settlement
officers, addressed a baraza at Saino, where the team was
introduced to committees set up to vet the genuine beneficiaries.
The administrators' visit was in
line with President Kibaki's directive that squatters in Sotiki,
Ndoinet, Saino, Bararget, Mauche and other settlement schemes be
given title deeds in three months.
During the President's address at
Olenguruone late last month, he said he was moved by the Ogiek
community's plight.
The previous regimes had failed
to recognise their land ownership rights, and President directed
that their settlement be formalised.
Although the initial settlement
plan targeted 5,016 people screened and found to be genuine
Ogiek members - thousands of others, mainly from Baringo, Bomet
and Buret districts, were allocated plots.
Buresoi MP Moses Cheboi pointed
out to the President during the March 28 meeting that
development had not been undertaken in the local settlement
schemes because there were no title deeds.
The legislator said it would be
fair for the Government to complete the resettlement programme,
left incomplete by the Kanu system.
Yesterday, Mr Rotich said he was
optimistic the technical team would complete its work as
scheduled to speed up title deeds processing.
Update
29.03.2004
Dear friends,
The Ogiek Peoples National Assembly (0PNA) and Ogiek Rural Integral Projects (ORIP) welcome with caution the
presidential pronouncement that the Ogiek be issued with title deeds. The same statement was made by former
President DANIEL ARAP MOI some years ago and President Kibaki’s statement brings back sad memories to my heart
and to the Ogiek people. Under the circumstances I personally do not smell the Ogiek in the statement save
that it is a political statement meant to achieve political
mileage. We all know that the politicians behind the president’s visit to the Rift Valley are the
same people who during KANU era opened up the Mau forest for scramble, the second scramble after the
European’s scramble for Africa. They own tracks of land and have title deeds, while, when and where no Ogiek
have any.
In Tinet, Ndoinet and Saino there are a handful of Ogiek and the majority are non-Ogiek yet no mention of
the East Mau, Narok, Mt Elgon, Laikipia and Transzoia Ogiek ancestral territories. The statement does not say
that Ogiek rights to their territories is hereby granted as a presidential decree. It merely says give
title: over which land? Government’s or what our people call their ancestral lands? What are the legal
implications of the statement in as far as the Ogiek claim to their lands?
The world knows that Ogiek have their land cases pending in our courts and are yet to be
concluded. If the statement was made in good faith then the government of Kenya should then terminate all Ogiek
cases through a logical procedure recognized under our municipal laws. The government should then establish
Ogiek peoples commission to address the Ogiek land question.
I am sceptical about the whole issue and I hope that the NARC Government can go down in history as having
respected the rights of the Last Hunters of East Africa by acknowledging the historical injustices meted
against the Ogiek people in Kenya.
As for me and my house there is nothing to celebrate about. So let the KALENJIN and politicians celebrate. I
will celebrate when the Ogiek Nation gains finally its restitution through the rule of Law.
I hope that I can write tomorrow to say the contrary.
With regards
Charles Saina Sena
CHAIRMAN-OPNA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR-ORIP
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President promises land titles,
while Ogiek lawyer is
threatend with murder
While some groups of Ogiek, who
have been promised title deeds for plots in Ogiek Land, are said
to be celebrating, other remain critical.
Statement by Kiplangat Cheruiyot
Peter, Coordinator CEL-Kenya
President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya has
urged the Ministry of Lands and Settlement to issue the minority
Ogiek (Caretakekers of Fauna and Flora-Hunter-Gathers) with
individual title deeds before the end of three months from 28th
march 2004.
Kibaki was speaking in Kuresoi
constituency after a large tour of Rift Valley Province.
Ogiek op om-Tinet Ogiek armed with
their traditional regalias welcomed him with traditional folk
songs.
Tinet has been with a stay of a
case in court pending appeal challenging the eviction.
It seems as if the president has
nullified the order of eviction if titles are to be issued to the
Ogiek within the said months.
Ogiek yet to be more happier.
The presidential delegates included
Minister of Lands, Mr. Amos Kimunya, Minister in charge of
security Hon. Murungaru, MPs Cheboi Moses (Kuresoi), Koigi Wamwere
(Subukia) and other senior individuals from the NARC government.
The Ogiek of Tinet support the
issuances of individual titles to them and being settled after
dermacation. They were given cards and allotments already years
before and were waiting for the promised titles deeds. The problem
which emerged later was that powerful individuals were benefiting
from the lands and left some Ogiek landless. According to Charles
Sena, the tiitles should be issued only to true Ogiek, but
concerning the Non-Ogiek.see the East African Stardard today,
which quoted him.
The big question is: Will the
titles be issued to individuals with 10 acres (wife and husband)
or to those with above 10 acres up to 200acres - land grabbers?
Who will compensate the Ogiek and the Kenya Human Rights
Commission officers who were arrested and only discharged after a
week in in the cells in 2000? The answers fall under the docket of
the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Ministry.
My personal advice - as Ogiek
Community based Human Rights Defender and Coordinator of the
Centre for Endangered Languages in Kenya - is that a tribunal
should be set to observe equally and evict the landgrabbers.
As Ogiek are now again promised
titles, the life of an Ogiek, who is a lawyers by profession, is
in danger. One individual already attempted to shoot him in a
restaurant in Narok town.
Charles Saina Sena escaped by
God’s mercy after one Sylevester Ntutu, a brother to Hon.
Stephen Ole Ntutu - a powerful individual from the former regime,
pulled a gun. The man was arrested and discharged after an hour.
No action has been taken against him so far, though witnesses are
available. The man still has his pistol.
The story was on Kenyans newspapers
after a press conference in Nakuru. All Ogiek professionals are
now worried for their safety. Among the professionals are Daniel
Kobei, Changeiwa Johnstone, Cheruiyot Kiplangat, Paul Kanyinke and
Sena Charles.
Lawyer Ogola of Kiplenge Associates
requested the government to give protection to Ogiek leaders.
Ogiek leaders have been protesting against the destruction of the
Mau Forest.Is is seen as if those learned memb ers of the Ogiek
community are the target - according to Daniel Kobei.
Ogiek are for the zero draft of the
new Constitution of Kenya. Long life Ogiek ! Long live Mau Forest!
Long live the Ogiek Language!
Yours Endangered
Kiplangat Cheruiyot Peter
Coordinator CEL-Kenya
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Finally, Ogiek to get title
deeds
By Samuel Mburu and Francis Ngige
East African Standard
Monday, March 29, 2004
Members of the Ogiek community
yesterday had their day when President Kibaki ordered that they be
issued with title deeds.
Winding up his three-day tour of
South Rift, Kibaki directed that title deeds for parcels of land
the forest dwelling community were settled in parts of Nakuru
District be given within three months.
Speaking after attending an
open-air church service in Olenguruone, the Head of State said the
community had a right to own land and directed that their
settlement be formalised.
Members of the community were
settled in Ndoinet, Saino and Tinet, but the issuance of title
deeds has been stuck as people who are said to have masqueraded as
members of the community also benefited.
Although the initial plan was to
settle 5,016 members who were screened and found to be genuine
Ogiek, thousands of others were also allocated the land.
A lawyer for the Ogiek community,
Mr Charles Saina ole Kiina, immediately declared that he would
draft a petition to Lands Minister Amos Kimunya opposing the
issuance of title to non-Ogiek.
The church service, which was
attended, by hundreds of people was conducted by Bishop Joseph
Rono of African Gospel Church. The President made the announcement
after the service, which was also attended by several Cabinet
ministers, their assistants and MPs.
The President directed Kimunya who
was present to ensure that the problem at settlement schemes in
Kuresoi constituency is resolved.
He said part of forests in the
constituency had been hived off for the purpose of settling the
Ogiek and it would therefore be unfair for the Government not to
issue them with title deeds.
He issued the directive after
Kuresoi MP Moses Cheboi pleaded with him to ensure his people are
settled permanently as the previous regime failed to complete the
exercise.
Kibaki, who was accompanied by
First Lady Lucy Kibaki, told the people of Kuresoi, Molo and other
areas in Nakuru to forget the past and concentrate on building the
nation.
In apparent reference to ethnic
clashes that rocked the area in 1992, the President said people
should concentrate on activities that would uplift their living
standards.
He announced that the Government
will revive the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) potato
cooling plant in Molo.
Responding to pleas made by local
leaders led by their MP Macharia Mukiri, the President said the
revival of the plant will go a long way in solving the problems of
farmers.
Likewise, Kibaki said, the
Pan-African Vegetable Processors plant in Naivasha will soon be
back in operation.
Agriculture Minister Kipruto Kirwa
said pyrethrum farmers will be paid Sh190 million on top of Sh60
million already paid out. He said the Government will strive to
pay the remaining Sh800 million after selling the processed
flowers.
During yesterday’s tour, the
President made several stopovers at Olenguruone, Keringet, Molo
town, Elburgon and later Njoro where he met by an enthusiastic
crowd that demanded that he address them.
See also: http://allafrica.com/stories/200403290440.html
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26.03.2004
Lawyer claims death threat on
Ogiek land
by Nation Correspondent
Daily Nation / Friday, March 26, 2004
A lawyer claims that his life is in
danger after he was threatened with murder for allegedly
protesting against land allocation in the Mau Forest.
Mr. Charles Saina Sena claims that
he narrowly escaped death when the influential man whipped out a
pistol and threatened to shoot him.
Mr. Sena has been championing the
rights of the Ogiek community in Mau forest.
Residents in court to bar people
from forest
The Ogiek have filed civil cases in
court seeking the cancellation of human settlements created during
the last decade in the vast rain forest.
Mr. Sena, who was accompanied by
the chairman of the Ogiek Peoples Development Projekt Daniel Kobei,
said that there was also controversy over the disputed Reiyo Ranch
in Narok District.
The Ranch, measuring 23.000
hectares, he said, was allocated to a few influential individuals,
who tampered with the maps at the Ministry of Lands.
The lawyer is represeenting 10
complainants in a legal tussle over the ownership of part of the
Reiyo Ranch.
Mr. Sena took isue with the police
in Narok for failing to arrest the gunman, despite having been
notified about the death threats
"We need police
protection", Mr. Sena said.
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