This archive report was first published on 28 October 2019.
As the deadline for settlers in the Mau forest to vacate the area expires, the Kenyan government has maintained its stance on not extending the 60-day notice. The notice was issued in August to 10,000 families who have lived in the forest since the 1990s.
According to Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya, more than 2,200 people have left the disputed 17,101-acre forest land, while another 1,100 have demolished their houses and left. Natembeya warned those planning to resist the eviction that the government is prepared.
Plans to plant 10 million trees on the disputed land are set to start on November 1, with three million tree seedlings to be planted at the Sierra Leone area.
However, a section of politicians from South Rift have expressed concerns that the eviction could precipitate a humanitarian crisis if not handled well. They also criticized the court's decision to throw out a case seeking to stop the evictions.
Speaking at the funeral of a prominent elder in Sigoronik village, Nandi Governor Stephen Sang claimed that the eviction is meant to put Deputy President William Ruto in an awkward position and let him pay for it politically.
On the other hand, Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina insisted that the evictions must go on, citing the destruction of the Mau forest as having affected the ecosystem of the Maasai Mara Game reserve.
