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.