Deputy President William Ruto finally broke his silence over the ongoing evictions at Mau Forest.
While speaking at Moi Girls High School, Kibra in Nairobi on Tuesday, September 3, Ruto asked Mau residents to be calm and assured that the education sector would not be affected.
"Every child is entitled to be in school, na sio tafadhali (it is mandatory). Even those in Mau will not be left behind," Ruto was quoted by People Daily.
Ruto also opened a 580-bed dormitory at the school.
The DP's comments came at a day when Nakuru County Commissioner, Erastus Mbui, ordered 15 schools that had been closed down to reopen for the Third Term and allow candidates to prepare for the national exam.
The country's second in command had earlier on been quiet over the matter and left it to his allies such as Kapsaret Member of Parliament, Oscar Sudi, and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, who blasted the government over the evictions.
Sudi claimed that should the eviction eventually happen, the Kenyatta and Moi families should give out a portion of their lands for resettling the Mau evictees.
Kericho Senator, Aaron Cheruiyot, who is a close ally of DP Ruto, hit out at President Uhuru Kenyatta for betraying people who live in Mau.
Several other Rift Valley leaders accused the Jubilee administration of abusing human rights, where approximately 60,000 families are set to be affected after being ordered to leave the water catchment area within 60 days.
Emurua Dikirr MP, Johana Ng'eno, was arrested on Tuesday, September 3, during the highly charged Maasai Mau Forest evictions.
The legislator was taken into custody at a police barricade, which had been set up to block him and his entourage of protestors from accessing the affected families.
He was later released.
