Former Bomet governor, Isaac Rutto, on Sunday faulted the govt eviction of settlers in the Maasai Mau trust land.

Rutto, who was appearing on K24 TV’s Punchline show with Anne Kiguta, said the Maasai Mau has not been gazetted as a forest and the 60,000 people being kicked out should be compensated.

Confronted with the findings of a task force created by the former prime minister Raila Odinga into the encroachment of the Maasai Mau, Rutto faulted the team for not writing a memo to the Cabinet that would have formed a basis for a bill to gazette the land as a protected area.

“Maasai Mau is not government land. It is not under the Kenya Forest Service. It is not gazetted as a forest. We have not reached a solution to the Mau issue because every other time a solution is being pushed from the top. I would like a situation in which there is a clear discussion and engagement between the government and local community,” said Rutto.

The former governor said that land from which settlers are being evicted from has three ward representatives, several schools and government-built roads, including one that was officially launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“There is a certain area in Maasai Mau that is a catchment area. Do a survey and give us the coordinates. Officially, it is not a water catchment area. It is just a statement,” said Rutto.

In August this year, the government halted the second phase evictions of settlers from the Maasai Mau forest but gave them 60 days to voluntarily vacate the area.

The 60-day notice was given after government administrators were accused of kicking out the settlers inhumanely.

A 10-member task force was also formed, headed by the Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya, to over devise a plan for the second phase evictions.

The team comprises members from Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service and the Ministry of Environment.

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An ODM senator has vowed to fence the Maasai Mau forest with or without any support from the government.

Speaking on Wednesday night during an interview with Tony Gachoka on KTN News, Narok senator Ledama Ole Kina insisted that people should be evicted from the forest.

He reiterated the importance of forests to an economy of a country, while giving a comparison of gorillas in the beautiful forest in Rwanda.

“I will fence the Mau forest with or without the government support. Look at the gorillas in the beautiful forest in Rwanda and give credit to Paul Kagame,” he said.

While supporting the move to have people evicted, the senator dismissed claims that the settlers possessed title deeds and that some genuinely bought land there.

He said they were instead being used as “human shields” through the creation of a “human misery” narrative so that the rich politicians could continue with their illegal businesses.

“Show me those poor people. Show me one who can produce a title deed and say I bought the land from so and so through the correct process,” asked Kina.

He threw his support behind Narok County Commissioner George Natembeya who has been accused by a section of politicians of pushing people out of Mau.

Ledama said Narok had never received a county commissioner who has been so pertinent and cares so much about conservation like George Natembeya.

“In the history of Narok county, we have never had a county commissioner who has been so pertinent and cares so much about conservation like George Natembeya,” he said.

He further said some of the richest people in Narok had made their living from logging in the Mau. He said the illegal activity was still going on and accused forest authorities for abetting it through corruption.

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Narok County senator Ledama Ole Kina has ruled out compensation for those being evicted from Maasai Mau forest, saying it was difficult to determine.

Speaking during an interview with KTN News on Wednesday night, Ledama said most of those being evicted from the Mau have “second homes” mostly in other parts of Rift Valley.

The legislator argued that it was the reason that politicians such as Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot were against the evictions.

The senator said the talk of “human misery” on the evictions and that children would be displaced and miss out on schools was part of the narrative by powerful people.

“If these people did not have a second home, then you wouldn’t see the likes of Murkomen and Cheruiyot coming to say we are defending our people. We have a million schools in Kenya… if these people are moved from here, they can be readmitted in other schools for free; that’s not a big deal,” he said.

He asked the President not to relent on the evictions.

“I’m even on record asking the President to suspend everything on his Big Four agenda, put his Cabinet on this issue, set up a tent in Mau and invite every single person who is laying a claim on the Mau and find a solution,” he said.

He added that the language of the politicians allied to Deputy President William Ruto showed his hand in the Mau issue. He urged Ruto to “stop interfering”.

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Amid the ongoing standoff on Maasai Mau Forest evictions, an ODM senator has revealed the people who are fighting to prevent government eviction just to protect their commercial interests in he forest.

While the fight against the eviction has been speculated to be political, Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina has said senior Government officials from previous regimes hived off parts of the Mau for tea plantations and illegal activities such as logging.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with KTN News on a show dubbed KTNPointBlank aired on Wednesday night, Ole Kina claimed the politicians, including former permanent secretaries and MPs, brought in people to use as cheap labour.

The people then opted to settle there and earn extra income by plundering forest resources because they were being paid peanuts, he alleged.

His utterances coincide with Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko’s remarks that powerful individuals would soon be arrested after Government completes investigations into the encroachment of 14,000ha in the Mau.

“Those people who own huge chunks of land brought in labourers to do the illegal activities for them, for example planting tea and logging. Since they were paid peanuts, these people also got into activities such as logging and burning charcoal,” he said.

The senator dismissed claims that the settlers possessed title deeds and that some genuinely bought land there. He said they were instead being used as “human shields” through the creation of a “human misery” narrative so that the rich politicians could continue with their illegal businesses.

“Show me those poor people. Show me one who can produce a title deed and say I bought the land from so and so through the correct process,” asked Kina.

“Those corrupt and unscrupulous powerful people who worked in government are the ones who are now using the poor people as shields because they do not want to be evicted from the Mau, they want to continue using it for logging.”

Kina said some of the richest people in Narok had made their living from logging in the Mau.

He said the illegal activity was still going on and accused forest authorities for abetting it through corruption.The water tower spans several counties with Narok being one of them.

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President Uhuru Kenyatta has finally broken his silence on the Maasai Mau forest standoff following a demand from a section of Rift Valley leaders.

The leaders led by Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen had claimed that environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko had moved to evict people from Mau forest trust land without any order from the government.

But on Thursday, the government spokesman Cyrus Oguna said that President Kenyatta-led government ordered for Mau evictions.

Oguna further revealed that the government will move to push out squatters in Mt Kenya and Abardare forests. This is in an effort to conserve Kenya’s forests.

A section of Jubilee legislators from the Rift Valley had accused President Kenyatta of using “personal differences” with Deputy President William Ruto to oppress Mau forest settlers.

The MPs – Ronald Tonui (Bomet Central), Dominic Koskei (Sotik) and Joseph Ruto (Kuresoi South) alongside Segemian MCA Wesley Koech said Uhuru would order a stop to planned evictions if he had the people’s interests at heart.

The MPs spoke on Wednesday in Sabetet and Sierra Leone in Narok South subcounty.

Tonui said the evictions have caused tension and disunity among communities living in the area.

He accused Uhuru of turning a blind eye to the evictions “yet the people living there voted for him in the last General Election”.

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A video of Deputy President Dr William Ruto that is doing rounds on social media, where the DP talks about the Maasai Mau Forest has yet again sparked a debate among Kenyans amid government’s standoff on Maasai Mau Forest evictions.

In the video which was recorded in June last year, the DP is heard talking tough about the evictions.

Ruto who was speaking at Sogoo High School in Narok South where part of the forest is located asked those who are living beyond the cutline to move out saying environmental conservation was crucial for the country.

He also announced that those who are legal settlers will be issued with title deeds and 15 schools that were demolished in the 2005 eviction shall be rebuilding adding that the government has allocated Sh65Million for the project.

“Those who live inside the forest will be moved out. We have planted tea to separate the forest and the settlement area as we have to conserve our environment,” he said.

The video has just started doing rounds on social media as Rift Valley leaders call for Ruto’s intervention in the ongoing standoff but Ruto has hence remained mum on the issue.

Early this week, a group of leaders from the Rift Valley told President Uhuru Kenyatta to break his silence on the Mau complex evictions.

The order by Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko to have nearly 50,000 people voluntarily leave the Mau or be forced out without compensation has angered some leaders, culminating in meetings.

Some families have already started leaving the forest voluntarily. 15 schools have also been closed down.

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Emurrua Dikirr Member of Parliament Johanna Ngeno has been arrested after leading protests against the second Mau Forest eviction.

Some local leaders have also opposed the planned evictions and called for dialogue.

Tension has gripped the settlers since Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko directed that they leave the forest.

The CS ordered the land to be cleared of human settlement immediately, because it forms a crucial part of the water tower.The evictions target about 10,000 families occupying approximately 17,000 acres of forest land.

On Monday, some 4,000 learners could not access primary schools that were put up by the Government at a cost of Sh40 million between 2011 and 2016.

About 100 policemen in five police vehicles were stationed around Sierra Leone according to a report by the Standard.

The armed regular officers were stationed at Koitabai Primary, Chebirbeleek, Sebetet, Noosagam.

They turned away the learners, informing them that there are no schools in the area.The children seemingly had heeded calls by some Rift Valley leaders, who on Sunday told residents to ignore the Government’s order asking pupils to stay away from the shut schools.

More to follow…………..

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The second phase of the mau forest eviction is on the go as the Kenya Forest Service rangers move into the forest in preparation for yet another round of evictions.

The settlers have been given 60 days notice to pave way for the restoration of the mau by October 31st. This is the first step to the realization of Cabinet Secretary Keraiko Tobiko’s announcement to refurbish the land.

100 KFS officers have been dispatched to three camps in the forest to carry out the second phase of the evictions. the first phase of eviction took place 14 years ago in Narok south where 15 schools were demolished and thousands of families evicted.

The move is however being opposed by some Rift Valley leaders and thirty five lawyers. Nairobi based advocates Moses Kurgat, Hillary Sigei and South Rift Law Society of Kenya chairman Kipngetich Korir have moved to court to secure orders against the eviction until the case is heard and undaunted.

In the new case the 11 respondents issued with the order include the Cabinet secretaries for Environment, Interior, Education, the TSC, the Narok County government, Kenya Forest Service, Inspector General of Police, Director Department of Civil Registration and the Regional Commisioner, Rift Valley. Environment and Lands court judge Silas Munyao has directed that the case be heard on wednsday in Kitale.

if the evictions are sanctioned more than 10,000 school children will be affected, including 1000 candidates that are set to sit their national at the end of the year.

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Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi has yet again taken a swipe at President Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing him of alleged hypocrisy, revisiting circumstances surrounding Mau eviction.

The legislature is now reading malice in the eviction, arguing that Uhuru opposed the evictions in 2009 and even attended a fundraiser to help the victims resettle.

The firebrand MP also insisted that Uhuru’s family should consider donating around 7,000 Ha and Daniel Moi’s family 10,000 Ha, adding that the two families own grabbed land.

“My humble request to Uhuru over Mau evictions is that he fundraised for this people when Raila Odinga was chasing them. He came in 2013 and asked them to vote for him. What Happened after 2017 that makes him to plot to kick them away?

“Stop damaging the lives of the poor because you’re not going to contest. Children in Mau are like those in your house. If you want to chase them, you have over 50,000 Ha. Give them around 7,000 because after all the land is not yours,” insisted Sudi.

The government is set to flush out over 10,000 people from the water catchment, a move that has been opposed by a section of leaders from Rift Valley.

Watch Sudi’s video below:

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