This archive report was first published on 3 September 2019.
Published on September 3, 2019, hundreds of families were yesterday leaving the Mau Forest Complex ahead of the planned eviction of settlers. However, some of the settlers defied orders to vacate the water tower, setting the stage for a confrontation with police officers who have been deployed to the area.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko directed the settlers to leave the forest, citing the land's crucial role in the water tower. The evictions target approximately 10,000 families occupying around 17,000 acres of forest land.
Some families, fearing forcible evictions, camped at Tendwek centre, a few kilometres from Narok South, where some of the evictions are expected to take place. Hundreds of security personnel arrived in the area on Sunday evening and sealed off 15 schools declared illegal.
Yesterday, about 4,000 learners were unable to access primary schools built by the Government at a cost of Sh40 million between 2011 and 2016. The Standard counted around 100 policemen in five police vehicles stationed around Sierra Leone.
Local leaders have opposed the planned evictions, calling for dialogue instead. Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya urged the settlers to act responsibly and avoid engaging with security forces, who are there to enforce the law and maintain order.
Some settlers, however, remain defiant, claiming the land they occupy is private property and citing title deeds as proof. They fear the eviction will be violent, with houses being torched and property destroyed, as seen in 2018 during the first phase of eviction.
Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has called on the settlers to stay put, saying there will be no eviction from Masai Mau Trust Land until President Uhuru Kenyatta speaks. Senator Murkomen accused CS Tobiko of being conflicted and lacking moral authority to evict people against the law.
