Ogiek elders petition National Land Commission over their ancestral land

National Land Commission chairman Mohammed Sawzuri

 

Ogiek elders have petitioned the Government to give the members of community title deeds for the land they occupy at Chepkitale.

The elders said the community has lagged economically due to historical injustices such as loss of its ancestral land.

During a meeting to discuss progress of the ongoing mapping exercise of the community's traditional boundaries, the elders urged the National Land Commission to (NLC) to ensure they get title deeds for the land they occupy around Mt Elgon Forest.

"We deserve to be treated like the rest of Kenyans and we petition NLC to recognise the area where we have settled and ensure we get title deeds," said Ndiema Sorin, one of the elders.

The mapping exercise, by a team of 18 people led by Peter Kitela, will identify traditional boundaries of land that the community lost to Mt Elgon Forest reserves and will help it seek compensation from the Government.

The Ogiek are one of Kenya's minority groups. During the meeting held at Chepkitale, the community leaders said huge parcels of their land was lost during the colonial period and after independence.

"We are looking for boundaries our ancestral land lost to forest reserves and the national park to enable us seek legal redress due to the historical injustice meted on us by past governments," said Kitela.