By Kipchumba Kemei
Narok, Kenya: Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has started demarcating boundaries in sections of the Mau Forest under its jurisdiction to deter encroachment.
KFS said after the demarcation, which kicked off yesterday is finalised, all squatters who will be found inside the forest will be evicted.
“We will evict the squatters without giving them notices. We are carrying out the exercise because settlers from the 28,000 hectare Maasai Mau section managed by the Narok County government have encroached on the forest,” said Essau Omollo, the KFS deputy director in charge of Forest Conservation and Management.
Mr Omollo said surveying of the boundaries between the Maasai Mau and other settlement areas has been completed and warned that those found to have encroached after the demarcation exercise will be arrested and prosecuted.
Omollo claimed the county government has failed to protect the section under its jurisdiction yet it has the capacity and asked the national government to take over its management to forestall what he termed as the ecosystem’s imminent depletion.
He said KFS would deploy more rangers in Mau to check on encroachment on sections under its jurisdiction and asked them to arrest anyone found to have encroached into the forest to set up settlement or burn charcoal.
Narok South Sub County Commissioner Stephen Nyakundi said the Government will assist KFS in protecting forests from encroachment and pledged that the relevant authorities are addressing the issue of settlement and fresh encroachment in the Maasai Mau section.
“The issue of settlement and fresh encroachment in the forest is being addressed by the relevant bodies. The Government will assist KFS to deter further encroach on gazetted forests that neighbour settlement areas and Maasai Mau,” he said.
However, Narok County Communication Director Diana Daido asked KFS to stop condemning the county government, adding that the county was formulating management plan for forests including the Maasai Mau.
