By Lucianne Limo and Vitalis Kimutai

The official relocation of illegal squatters from the South Western Mau Forest Reserve starts on Monday.

This follows the expiry of a 14-day vacate notice issued by the Kenya Forest Service to illegal squatters.

Several settlers had started leaving the Mau complex amid fears of forced eviction.

The Interim Coordinating Secretariat has developed a five-phase plan of action for the repossession of the forestland. Phases I and II are currently being implemented.

The two phases deal mainly with forestland for which no title deeds have been issued.

The rest deal with title deeds and the issues of compensation and resettlement and will be implemented from next year.

This means the settlers who have title deeds will continue living in the forest until next year.

Phase II would see 19,000 hectares South Western Mau Forest Reserve repossessed from illegal squatters.

According to the secretariat, these squatters have no documentation to support their occupation of the forest.

Last month, Kenya Forest Service gave settlers 14 days to leave Saino, Korao, Ndoinet, Tinet, Kiptagich and Kiptagich extension settlements schemes to pave way for conservation.

Meanwhile, the Kalenjin council of elders has called on the Government to suspend evictions to allow the affected families to harvest their crops.

At the same time, two university lecturers, Prof Paul Chepkwony and Dr Kimutai Bosek, have faulted the Government for creating a humanitarian crisis by evicting the families without alternative settlement for them.

The chairman of the council, Major (rtd) John Seii, in a Press conference in Eldoret, said the Government did not consider the families’ education, food and general welfare before the eviction.

Seii was accompanied by former military chief, Gen Daudi Tonje, former assistant minister Elijah Sumbeiywo, former MP Nathaniel Chebelyon and former Lands Permanent Secretary Josiah Sang, among others.