This archive report was first published on 10 September 2019.
On September 9, 2019, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) spoke out against the eviction of indigenous communities from the Mau Forest in Narok South. The commission's commissioner, George Morara, emphasized that only non-indigenous communities that had settled in the forest should be evicted.
Speaking at the Indigenous Women Regional Conference in Nairobi, Morara stated, "The Ogiek should remain in the Mau Forest while dominant communities are removed and resettled." He also warned politicians against politicizing the Mau evictions, citing the devastating impact of non-indigenous people on the forest.
According to Morara, the Ogiek have lived in the Mau Forest for centuries without causing significant damage. He pointed out that the 2013 state of the forest was largely due to the actions of non-indigenous people who had settled there.
The KNCHR is part of a government task-force working to resolve the Mau eviction row. Morara emphasized the importance of following United Nations laws on evictions and other Kenyan laws, including the 2010 Constitution, which recognizes marginalized communities.
