Deputy President William Ruto has ordered for the eviction of squatters living in the Mau Forest.
The move seeks to conserve the 46,000-hectare forest which is the largest water tower in East and Central Africa.
Ruto spoke at Sogoo High School in Narok South where part of the forest is located and explained to the squatters that the move was also aimed at environmental conservation which was important to the country.
He also told legal settlers they would be issued with title deeds and 15 schools that were demolished in the year 2005 eviction will be rebuilt since the government had allocated Ksh65 Million for the project.
[caption caption="Mau forest"]
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“Those who live inside the forest will be moved out. We have planted tea to separate the forest and the settlement area as we have to conserve our environment,” the DP stated.
The DPs announcement received support from the Maasai Council of Elders who reiterated that the fight to conserve the forest will only be won after the illegal settlers are flushed out.
Ruto’s announcement comes after Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and the Narok County government were embroiled in a tussle over the management of the forest with the former accusing the latter of lacking the capacity to protect the forest.
KFS Chairman Peter Kinyua and the Chief Forest Conservator Monica Kalenda issued a presser clarifying that the forest was under the county and that theirs was only support and advisory.
The elders led by Maasai Council of elders Organizing Secretary Hassan ole Kamwaro and Council’s Chairman, Narok County Francis ole Nooseli termed KFS’s failure to evict people from the forest as being hypocritical.
[caption caption="Rangers evicting people at the Mau forest"]
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“The KFS should be candid on this matter. They (KFS) cannot purport to be arresting illegal loggers, charcoal, cedar posts while the suspects are there in the forest. The enemies of our forest are those who are living in the forest,” Kamwaro stated.
