Fury as State disowns Mau titles ahead of evictions

Residents ponder the next move over the impending evictions in Kipchoge, Maasai Mau Forest, on Friday. The area has been earmarked for phase two evictions. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

The government plans to evict settlers in Mau forest on October 28 to pave way for the second phase of restoration of the water-tower.

The reclamation targets 17,000 acres of the forest.

But when the Sunday Standard visited the area targeted for evictions, the settlers were adamant.

Tension in Sierra Leone, Kipchohe, Olapa and Kitobon is palpable. Any visit by a stranger is quickly communicated across the villages.

As we approach, children playing in an open field flee as adults gather to discuss our presence in hushed tones.

“I will stay here and watch my house burn down. They will have to kill me first,” says Pauline Chepkwony, 40, who has been living in the forest for 18 years, where she has a maize plantation.

The mother of six points at a tea plantation planted in 2015 to mark the boundary between the settlement area and the forest.

Ms Chepkwony, like the rest of the more than 10,000 households targeted for evictions, maintains they don’t occupy forest land.

“We occupy land that was formerly part of the group ranches that were sub-divided among members of the ranches and later sold to willing-buyer by willing-sellers,” she says, adding that politicians have been using the Mau forest settlement to gain political mileage and that none care about their plight.

Caveat

Last week, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya revealed that the government has disowned the 700 title deeds claimed by the locals saying they are not genuine.

The administrator regretted that even after issuance of a caveat by the national government in 2009, a people continued to encroach the forest, causing more destruction.

Number of households profiled by the government in 2009 is 7,889 households.

“We are targeting 10,000 households, there are those who claim to have title deeds and sale agreement. If you encroach my land and sell to other people, how valuable is that transaction,” he said adding there shall be no compensation.

He added, “People were told no more settlement and carrying out economic activities. It is unfortunate that people continued to encroach the forest. Status quo was set up, those who came after 2009, after government decision to place a caveat, we are not aware about them.”

In one of the meetings, we managed to attend after declaring our mission to elders gathered at Sierra Leone Centre in Narok South, locals maintained they are genuine land owners.

Most people here treasure the titles and walk with them wherever they go. To them it is not just a piece of paper as claimed by Government officials.

Samson Kiplagat a father of 13 said he has been living in the area since 1999.

He is among families that have been affected by evictions since 2005.

Kiplagat claimed that he bought the land in 2001 and has nowhere to go.

“Where do I go, I have nowhere to go having sold the one acre parcel of land i had in Sotik and moved here, I worked hard to buy this land,” he said.

He said they will only move if compensated at the current land value.

Erick Kiplangat said the area was formerly a trust land and ranch and they followed due processes in acquisition of the property.

He vowed to use all means to block the government from evicting them.

“We respect the boundary set by the Government and since the establishment of the tea zone to mark boundary between settlers and the people we have never gone beyond.

“Tobiko says our titles are pieces of paper, if that is the case let him show us how a genuine title looks like, could be made of something else,” he said.

Sue the Government

Eric said they will mobilise resources and sue the Government at the International Criminal Court.

“We will sue the Government, and specifically have Environment Cabinet Secretary Kerikao Tobiko and Natembeya taken to ICC,” he said.

The locals want the Government to explain why they watched as schools and roads were constructed in the area.

Mary Towett a mother of ten said they are better off dead instead of leading a desolate life after the eviction.

Mr Tobiko has maintained that more than 60,000 forest settlers will be evicted in phase two.

A total of 700 title deed have been disowned by the Government. Another 1,274 title deeds have been listed for cancellation.

Land Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney early this month in an advertisement in the dailies listed 1,274 names.

This came after the Environment and Lands Court in Nakuru ordered that the names be published.

Advert in the dailies

The Ministry in 2018 had filed a cross-petition in the court seeking cancellation of the titles that were irregularly and unlawfully issued.

Justices Sila Munyao, Mohammed Kullow and Ongondo George in June ordered the Attorney General to place an advert in the dailies and list the names of people, their title deeds and size of land allegedly owned.

The affected parcels of land are in Nkoben, Ilmotiok and Ololunga.

Natembeya said boundaries separating the government forest and group ranches that were sub-divided and allocated to members, were altered and extended into forest land by the government officials.

He further reveals that the officers have already recorded statements with security agencies and that the Director of Public Prosecution will soon issue orders to arrest the suspects.