Ruto allies blame Raila for ongoing Mau evictions

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator and Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen address the meeting. The leaders have blamed 2022 politics for the ongoing Moi evictions. [Robert Kiplagat, Standard]

Political leaders allied to the Deputy President William Ruto have pointed an accusing finger at Orange Democratic Movement party leader Raila Odinga for allegedly taking advantage of the handshake to instigate the Maasai Mau evictions with an eye on 2022 politics.

The over 10 legislators drawn from the Rift Valley defended DP Ruto’s directive on eviction of those living beyond the 2015 tea buffer zone created by the Jubilee administration but were opposed to the use of the 2008 Hassan Noor Mau Task Force report.

“We are dismayed over what is happening here, President Uhuru Kenyatta swore to protect the rights of all Kenyans and we fully support his move to create the cut line but we wonder why some people who have title deeds and living in the settlement area are being harassed,” said Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen.

The Elgeyo Marakwet Senator who was the spokesman of the group accused the security officers being used to evict people in the area of working in the interest of opposition leader and some individuals in government who want to sabotage DP Ruto’s ambitions.

Among the resolutions the group made on Wednesday include summoning of the area County Commissioner to appear before a joint Senate and National assembly committees on lands to shed more light on the motive behind evicting those who had title deeds.

Mr Murkomen also asked those who had ‘unlawfully’ been evicted should go back to their homes saying that the government will deliver building materials to them stating tomorrow (Friday).

“All those who encroached the forest beyond the cut line should go but those who are the legal settlers and have had their houses demolished should go back home. I have come here as a representative of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government,” said Murkomen.

He added: “We are aware and other Jubilee leaders are also aware that some government operatives and some people who joined us recently through backdoor are using this Mau forest issue to portray DP Ruto as having failed to protect his people ahead of 2022 but they will never succeed.”

Tension was however high after the meeting of the locals with politicians was temporarily halted after Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and Kenya Wildlife Service(KWS) security personnel attempted to disperse the crowd.

The MP’s however witnessed the brutal harassment of the residents after two youth were seriously injured during the clash between the locals and the security personnel after the area County Commissioner George Natembeya warned politicians against politicising the Mau issue.

The Senator also called for disciplinary action to be taken against the KFS and KWS officers who engaged in harassment of the locals.

“It is sad that as we were landing the officers who were armed with sticks and guns brutally attacked the locals and chased them. Scores have been injured and it seems if we had not arrived on time over 10 could have been killed by the officers,” said Murkomen.

Recently the county Commissioner announced that the phase one of the eviction exercise that had been ongoing for the last one week were over 7,000 had been evicted from Kosia, Nkoben, Arorwet, had been completed.

Mr Natembeya also said he shall not be using the 2015 tea zone boundary but instead shall be using the 2008 Task Force which was spear-headed by Raila Odinga then Prime Minister in the coalition government.

The legislators who were president during the event include; MPs Johanna Ng’eno(Emurua Dikir),Beatrice Kones(Bomet East),Nelson Koech(Belgut),Ronald Tonui(Bomet Central),Joyce Korir(Bomet Woman Rep),Gideon Kosgei(Chepalungu),Bomet Senator Christopher Lang’at.

Others included Nakuru Woman Representative Liz Chelule, Japheth Kiptergech (Bureti) who spoke bitterly over the inhumane manner at which the evictions were done saying the Mau residents voted Jubilee 100 percent thus deserve dignity.