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OGIEK
PEOPLES
NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY
(OPNA)
PO BOX 741
NAROK,
TEL: 050 - 23417, 23199
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Date: October 3, 2005
PRESS
STATEMENT TO THE MEDIA
OGIEK
OPPOSE KIBAKI’S
DIRECTIVE
ON
TITLE DEEDS
The
President’s directive that more than 12,000 Ogiek shall be issued
with title deed in the Mau is ill timed and a monumental conspiracy
to expropriate Ogiek ancestral land in Nakuru and Narok districts to
other mainstream societies for political expediency.
The Ogiek land struggle is as old as our independence and to
date the Ogiek people are not legally among the 42 tribes of Kenya.
In
March last year the president directed that the Ogiek be issued with
title deeds and went further to form a task force to implement the
same.
To date the Ogiek people have never seen the report of the
task force neither were they allocated any land.
We
as members of the Ogiek community are telling the government that
your hands are tied for now and that it is immoral, deceptive and
fraudulent to use land to hoodwink indigenous peoples to surrender
their God given rights to exercises.
Their democratic rights to participate effectively in
democratic processes such as the impending forthcoming referendum.
“This is the wrong time Mr. President to make such announcement.
The Ogiek like the rest of Kenyans are fasting until the
review process is over, and it is in our culture not to visit our
women when they are menstruating, Kenya is menstruating and all the
warriors are out to fend for their nation and shall be back after 21st
November to embrace their women.”
The
Ogiek therefore, shall not accept the government directive, as we
cannot be treated like hungry dogs that can be fed with poisoned
meat and will still eat only to die.
The directive by the government is like meat laced with
poison and the Ogiek has already detected the poison and we shall
not therefore partake it.
Like
the rest of Kenyans the Ogiek will vote NO in the referendum to
determine their future without being coerced or given false promises.
The Ogiek people want to be part of the larger Kenyan
populace that want to see a better Kenya for all and where the rule
of law is paramount.
Even if they were to accept any title, that will not change
their stand on the referendum.
We
are thus, challenging the president to:
| 1. |
Publish
the list of the 12,000 Ogiek and their clans. |
| 2. |
Indicate
clearly which land they are giving out stating geographical
locations. |
| 3. |
Inform
the world the criteria used to identify the Ogiek and the land
in question. |
| 4. |
To
understand that there are pending court cases over land
between the Ogiek and the government. |
The
right to self-determination is fundamental in achieving social,
economic and political rights and that is why the Ogiek reject in
toto the Wako draft, due to excess powers of the president, absence
of four levels of devolution and the land question.
It
is too late Mr. President the plane is airborne.
Sincerely,
CHARLES
SAINA SENA
CHAIRMAN;
OGIEK PEOPLES NATIONAL ASSEMBLY {OPNA}
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