This archive report was first published on 28 August 2019.
On August 28, 2019, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya announced that the government would be shutting down 15 schools in the Mau Forest as part of its phase 2 evictions.
The schools, which include Kirobon Centre, Senetwet Centre, and 12 others, were set up in areas targeted for eviction and were not registered as government institutions.
According to Natembeya, the schools were established illegally and did not have the necessary land documents, as they were situated in a government-gazetted forest.
He also stated that none of the schools had pupils expected to sit for national exams this year, and asked parents not to take their children to the institutions once schools re-open for Third Term.
The government is targeting to reclaim 17,000 acres of land in the phase two of Mau Forest evictions, which will affect 10,000 households.
Those affected have been given 60 days to voluntarily vacate the area or be evicted.
