Residents in court to stop eviction from Mau

Officers patrolling Ororwet in Masai Mau Forest. [File, Standard]

Maasai Mau residents on Friday filed a suit in the Environment and Lands Court in Narok, seeking to stop the ongoing evictions.

Johnson Kimutai Cheruiyot and 19 others want the court to issue orders barring the evictions, pending hearing and determination of the case.

In the suit, the Director of Kenya Forest Services (KFS), the Narok county government and the director of surveyors are named as respondents.

The residents claim the respondents are in contempt of court orders issued nearly four years ago.

“The application herein is urgent as the defendants/respondents are now busy burning our houses, schools, granaries churches, evicting and harassing us in the suit land known as Maasai Mau Trust land despite the honourable court order issued on October 14, 2014,” reads part of the application.

However, Narok County Commissioner George Natembeya said operations to evict people who had crossed the cut-line ended on July 13.

“Phase one of the operations ended; phase two is coming. This, however, will involve other agencies and does not necessarily mean eviction,” said Natembeya.