[Source: People Daily, by Roy Lumbe]
Nakuru Deputy Speaker Samuel Tonui has moved to court to stop the eviction of more than 40,000 families in Marioshoni area in Njoro, Nakuru County.
In a notice of motion before the Environment and Lands Court filed by Tonui, the families want the court to declare the exercise illegal. Through lawyer Kipkoech Ng’etich, Tonui, under a certificate of urgency, noted that affected residents living in Sururu, Marioshoni, Baraget and Nesuit areas have been left homeless and destitute amid the current pandemic.
Suing as a private citizen, Tonui wants Cabinet Secretaries for Interior, Environment, Attorney General, the Kenya Forests Service, and the Regional Commissioner, Rift Valley barred from evicting the residents.
“The evictions are conducted in an inhumane manner. Houses have been burnt while livestock and landowners have been beaten up, yet they are rightful owners of these sections not within gazetted Mau Forest, said Tonui.
Over 10,000 affected residents bordering the Mau Forest Complex have been forcibly evicted however Ng’etich claims his clients have title deeds, which they acquired from the ministry of lands in 2001.
In their prayers, they want the court to issue an order directing the State to conduct a fresh survey of the entire Mau Forest Complex insisting that they are legal settlers on the land. The Kenya Forest Service is undertaking a multi-agency operation to reclaim Logoman, Sururu, Likia, Kiptunga, Mariashoni, Nessuit, Baraget and Oleposmoru forests within the Mau Complex.
The operation, which started on June 27, seeks to stop all illegal human activities in government forests, which form the Eastern side of Mau Forest Complex.
Local leaders said the evictions will make it difficult to enforce the Ministry of Health restrictions to prevent spread of Covid-19 disease when a huge section of the evictees have to seek refuge together in schools and churches.
“While we fully appreciate the need for conservation, we urge for utmost caution while undertaking the process, a more consultative approach and timing will be of great benefit to all,” said Governor Lee Kinyanjui.
Njoro MP Charity Kathambi condemned the evictions and saying it would cause a humanitarian crisis when coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic.
[Source: People Daily, by Roy Lumbe]
