This archive report was first published on 11 October 2019.
Published on October 11, 2019, a coalition of environmental conservation groups has called for the faster eviction of settlers in the Mau Forest Complex. The groups, which include Green Spaces, Penda Panda, and the Green Belt Movement, argue that the encroachment of the forest should not be tolerated and that all measures should be taken to remove the squatters.
The groups, which also include the East Africa Wildlife Society, Kenya Forest Working, Heart of Greens, Climate Justice Alliance, and the International Tree Foundation, have expressed their willingness to support the government in tree planting efforts to reclaim the forest once the eviction process is complete.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko has been commended for leading the operation, and the groups have urged for continued support for the team. The water tower, which is the largest in the country and supports millions of livelihoods nationally, regionally, and internationally, must be salvaged at all costs, according to Ms. Wambui Muthiga, the chairperson of the Joint Environmental Conversation Groups.
Ms. Muthiga added that the water tower is key to the survival of the regional ecosystem and that its preservation is crucial. The groups have also announced plans to mobilize resources to support the conservation of other forests in the country.
Meanwhile, Kenyans living in the United Kingdom have also expressed their support for the reclamation of the Mau Forest. Their chairperson, Kivindyo Ndivo, has condemned political leaders who are opposed to the evictions and has urged the state not to relent in its efforts to reclaim the forest.
