UN Sends Warning to Kenya Over This community

The United Nations (UN) on Tuesday sent out a warning to Kenya over reports that the Sengwer community members who live in Embobut Forest, Western Kenya had been attacked and forcibly evicted from their homes.

Independent experts appointed by the Geneva-based organization expressed concerns that the community was being evicted from the forest as a result of the implementation of the Water Towers Protection and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Project, an EU funded water management project

“The Sengwer are facing repeated attacks and forced evictions by agents of the Kenya Forest Service, which is an implementing agency in the project financed by the European Union.

“We call on the Kenyan authorities to urgently halt the evictions of the Sengwer community and undertake impartial investigations of these attacks," they stated.

[caption caption="Sengwer community members protest eviction"][/caption]

Furthermore, UN urged the European Union (EU)  to suspend funding for the project until measures were taken to uphold international standards on indigenous peoples’ rights.

“We are concerned that the project is being undertaken without a human rights impact assessment,” the experts noted.

They argue that consultations have not been held with Sengwer community to seek their free, prior and informed consent.

In December last year, more than 100 armed Forest Service guards entered the traditional lands of the Sengwer in the Embobut Forest, firing gunshots, burning at least 15 homes and killing their livestock.

A week ago, one of the Sengwer leaders was shot at by Forest Service guards. While he managed to escape unhurt, his house was burnt down and his property destroyed.

[caption caption="members of the Sengwer community"][/caption]

The Project was launched in June 2016 in a partnership between the EU and the Kenyan Government.

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