DP Ruto orders squatters to vacate Mau forest

Deputy President William Ruto (second right) with Narok Governor Samuel Tunai (right) and his Kajiado counterpart Joseph ole Lenku and Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo at Sogoo High School.The DP ordered eviction of illegal settlers in Mau Forest. [ROBERT KIPLAGAT, STANDARD]

The Government has ordered 600 families who have encroached on the Maasai Mau forest to leave.

Deputy President William Ruto, who spoke at the weekend at Sogoo High School in Narok South where part of the forest is located, asked the squatters to move out, saying environmental conservation was crucial for the country.

The move is geared towards conserving the 46,000-hectare forest, which is the largest water tower in East and Central Africa.

Mr Ruto also announced that legal settlers would be issued with title deeds, and 15 schools demolished in the 2005 eviction would be rebuilt.

He said the Government had allocated Sh65 million 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,” said the DP who had attended an inter-denominational church service.

Ruto’s announcement comes barely days after Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and the Narok county government were embroiled in a tussle over management of the forest, with the former accusing the latter of lacking capacity to protect the forest.

The Government, through Narok County Commissioner George Natembeya, had suspended an impending eviction but DP Ruto’s statement appears to be firm.

Ruto’s announcement received support from Maasai Council of Elders, who reiterated that the fight to conserve the forest would only be won after the illegal settlers were flushed out.

The elders led by Maasai Council of Elders Organising Secretary Hassan ole Kamwaro criticised KFS’s failure to evict squatters from the forest.

“They (KFS) cannot purport to be arresting illegal loggers while the suspects are there in the forest,” said Kamwaro.