Humanitarian crisis looming as over 1,000 families are evicted from Mau forest

Family ponders the next move after their house was razed down at Nkoben area in Narok North Sub-County as the evictions kick off to save the Maasai Mau forest. [Robert Kiplagat/Standard]

A humanitarian crisis is looming as the Government embarks on an operation to evict over 1,000 households from the 46,000-hectare Maasai Mau forest.

The operation, which is being undertaken by multi-agency team comprising the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Narok county rangers, began on Saturday after lapse of a one-month notice issued to squatters.

The eviction is part of efforts to save the country's largest water tower.

“The operation is officially on. We are targetting to flush out over 2,400 people who are living beyond the cutline,” said area KFS Ecosystem Conservator Mwai Muraguri.

The KFS official said they were targetting to evict settlers who encroached on areas such as Kosia, Nkoben, Septonok and numerous other villages within the forest in the operation that he says will last 30 days.

The evictees who spoke to The Standard have, however, expressed concern over what they termed as "short notice" by the Government.

“I learnt of this eviction three days ago and I haven’t had time to prepare psychologically. We are traumatised as we do not know where we are going as this has been our home for the last over 10 years,” said John Lang’at who was evicted from Nkoben.

Mr Lang’at lashed out at the Government for failing to establish a clear boundary between Maasai Mau and the settlement area.

Janet Chemutai, a mother of two toddlers, expressed concern over their health this cold July, saying children and the elderly were at risk of contracting pneumonia.

The KFS official said they were going to use the 2008 Hassan Noor Task Force boundary which recommended 24km boundary between the Maasai Mau forest and the Olposimoru gazetted forest.

He said currently, over 200 contingent of security personnel have been deployed to conduct the eviction, but downplayed cases of harassment saying the operation is being conducted in as humane way.

The forest conservator, however, said the operation will not touch areas under the caveat as the matter was before court.

The operation comes barely a fortnight after Deputy President William Ruto ordered eviction of those who had encroached the forest beyond the cutline.

DP Ruto, who spoke at Sogoo in Narok South, also revealed plans to issue title deeds to squatters who were evicted from Olposimoru forest in 2005 evictions.