Evictees allege unfair resettlement

By Edwin Cheserek

Elgeyo, Kenya: Fresh controversy has emerged concerning plans to resettle squatters in Marakwet East District over allegations of doctored evictees’ list.

The victims through their representatives claim that some Government officials and area leaders altered the final list in favour of their relatives at the expense of deserving beneficiaries.

Chairman, Centre for Human Rights and Governance, Chepting Kipseret, said the Government should suspend resettlement and verify the names of the beneficiaries.

“It is unacceptable to assist certain individuals who are not victims of forest eviction to acquire land and leave out genuine beneficiaries,” Kipseret told The Standard yesterday.

The human rights activist alleged that names of genuine beneficiaries were struck off the list and replaced with those of the leaders and their relatives. In June last year, a task force that had been set up to vet the victims recommended resettlement of 2,874 squatters evicted from the Embobut forest in the area.

Five years ago, the Government embarked on eviction of illegal occupants on water catchments and later formed a task force to find out whom the genuine beneficiaries are.

shocking reports

Mr Dominic Kosgei, who is one of the victims’ representative, said they were shocked with reports that the list had been changed even after it had been handed to relevant authorities.

He said they would confirm with the Ministry of Special Programmes whether different persons were introduced.

In response to the allegations, Marakwet East DC Joseph Kisang’au said he was not aware of the new development and was yet to receive formal complaints from concerned parties. “The document I have is the same with that of all relevant Government authorities. We are aware some individuals were peddling falsehood,” he said.

Mr Kisang’au said it was impossible to amend the list because victims’ representatives, area leaders and Government officials appended their signatures before the list was handed over to the ministry for consideration.