This archive report was first published on 6 September 2019.
September 6, 2019, marked a somber day for nearly 10,000 families living on land declared part of Mau Forest in Narok County. The Government's eviction orders, issued in July by Environment and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko, have left the residents in a state of despair.
As witnessed by The Standard team, which has been camping in the disputed 17,000 acres of land in Narok South, the settlers are demolishing their homes to avoid past police brutality. Kennedy Langat, a resident, explained that his family decided to remove the iron sheets, wooden poles, window panes, frames, and doors to avoid situations where police burn their houses and they lose building materials.
Langat's family has relocated to Mauche in neighboring Nakuru County to stay with relatives as they await further communication from the Government. He expressed his fear of being brutalized like many people who lost their property in phase one of the eviction from the other disputed land in the area.
The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) officers have been traversing the vast area known as Sierra Leone, advising the inhabitants to leave before they are forcibly ejected. The settlers have heeded the warning, and the targeted areas in the forest remain deserted. Schools have also been deserted despite a Government directive that they should remain open until the 60-day notice expires.
Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna reiterated that the eviction of settlers in Narok North and South would go ahead as planned, stating that the eviction process was legal and that the areas being cleared off inhabitants were gazetted lands. He emphasized that relocation was the right word, as eviction has a negative connotation.
