By Karanja Njoroge

The Maasai want land alienated by colonialists returned to the community upon the expiry of lease agreements.

Community leaders said the issue forms part of historical injustices they want addressed.

Prof Meitamei ole Dapash of the Maasai Community Partnership Project said they would go to court to compel the Government to address the matter.

"We have launched a campaign to have the land, which was wrongly taken from the community returned as the leases are almost coming to an end," said Dapash during a demonstration at Tipis Trading Centre, Mau Narok.

The demonstrators demanded that the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) start its investigations into historical injustices dating back to 1900.

"Most of the historical injustices against the community were committed in the 1900’s and that’s where the TJRC should start," a community elder Kerena ole Nchoe said.

They said most injustices against minority groups occurred during the colonial times and were not addressed by successive post-independence regimes.

Mr Nchoe said in Mau Narok Division alone there are more than 30 huge pieces of land measuring 30,000 hectares that were irregularly allocated by the colonialists and the ownership should now revert to the community.

Squatters

Dapash said the alienated land was later allocated to influential individuals leaving a many of the residents as squatters.

"We are not going to allow the Government to acquire the land and settle non-residents while those who were robbed of the land continue to suffer," said Nchoe.

They claimed colonialists and post-independence regimes took advantage of their nomadic lifestyle to dispossess them of their land.

Waving placards, the demonstrators accused the Government of failing to take the land problem seriously.

"The Government cannot wish away the land problem, we want it addressed urgently," Nchoe added.

A former Councillor Nickson ole Ngurruna said they support Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s efforts to restore Mau Forest.

"We are fully behind the PM as we have borne the brunt of the massive destruction of the forest," he added.

He said to end impunity the big shots with land in the forest should not be compensated.

Mr Ngurruna said the land policy should be implemented immediately to tackle land problems.