It’s not too late for those opposed to Mau drive to rethink position

The Government was in the Mau on Friday trying to save the water tower monumental to the survival of the country. However, we reluctantly use Government here as that would denote that all Government was indeed there. Granted, whether Prime Minister Raila Odinga, ministers and diplomatic corps, among other people, were part of the team is immaterial. The issue should be bigger than the Government and individuals although, of course, we assume that the Government is legitimately constituted and represents the will of the people; that it is the Government that makes decisions with far-reaching consequences on people’s lives and future.

We have constantly documented the gravity of the wanton destruction of the Mau, and argued that it is fundamentally important to evict illegal squatters irrespective of their political, social or economic status. We have lauded people and organisations committed to the conservation of the Mau irrespective of their positions and political affiliations.

These people we conclude are our true heroes and heroines, some of them having risked their careers and even lives to protect the national good. In other words, conserve the Mau at any cost for all the people of Kenya.

Public good

However, amid the efforts invested in the battle to conserve the Mau, there has been a constant spat between politicians whose parochial thinking has somewhat affected the pace at which the regeneration and conservation is done. The wrangles and opprobrium have also impacted people’s level of engagement in this vital project. While, of course, people have a right to hold different opinions, however obnoxious these may be, the Mau is more important than any political party or individual. Mau means a lot to all Kenyans. It has a domino effect upon society, economic activity, ethnic relations and cohesion, among other matters. That it has to be saved is not in doubt. It is the when and, more importantly, the how, that is yet to be settled.

Without engaging in the now stale debates on how we got here, it is imperative to point out that some of the people opposed to how the conservation should proceed were in Government when the Mau was plundered. Some are beneficiaries of the complex. Thus their opposition is tempered with self-interest. They are trying to protect their selfish interests; to hold onto the parcels of the forestland, and seek compensation for land which they may not have spent a cent to acquire.

Such is the greed that a few of the landowners, some of them the wealthiest and most landed in Kenya, find it hard to relinquish this public property without a fight. Their intransigence is emboldened by the fact that they have support in some high places, and that sometimes the Government is unwilling to take extreme measures in extreme circumstances.

In fact, there is evidence that the Government is intent on compensating the ‘big fish’ who have plundered the Mau. The irony is that the Government keeps denying that this is the case. For some strange reason, the Government has been economical with the truth, constantly denying that the decision to compensate the ‘big fish’ has been reached.

Review position

As a story elsewhere in this newspaper will reveal, that decision was reached long ago, and someone somewhere is intent on deceiving the people. Problem is, you can cheat some people some of the time, but not all the people all the time.

In short, the Government should acknowledge it made a mistake and reconsider its decision given the pain and suffering the Mau issue has and continues to cause.

Thus as we laud the Prime Minister for leading the conservation amid vociferous and even costly noises, those who have shown unwillingness to address issues of great national interest should re-examine their consciences.

They should ask themselves whether their positions are tenable given the public mood and opinion.