More settlers leave Mau forest
Eviction of settlers from the Mau forest entered the second day Thursday with over 200 families voluntarily leaving the forest and camping at Kapkembu area at the outskirts of the forest. The families, which did not have title deeds, moved to make shift houses for fear of forceful evictions. At the same time a section of Rift Valley Members of Parliament are accusing the government of not honoring its pledge of resettling people living in Mau forest. The families however complained that the government had not provided them with transport as promised saying that they had to trek for two days without food or water. A section of the MPs are accusing security forces camping in the forest of stealing maize from farms of the Mau evictees. They also say support mechanisms should have been put in place before the settlers are evicted from the forest to avert creation of another lot of Internally Displaced Persons in the country. But Constitutional Affairs Minister Mutula Kilonzo supported the exercise and called on all illegitimate settlers to vacate the forest willingly since the government will not consider them in the resettlement scheme. However, Human right activists who toured the area appealed to the government to cater for the evictees’ food and other basic needs lest they be forced to return to the forest. … Evicted Mau settlers require urgent help The hour of reckoning finally came for the Mau settlers. They have been forced to leave their homes, farms and property located right inside the forest to seek alternative residence, after the deadline issued by the government expired this week. So far, there have been no reports of ugly incidents similar to those witnessed in the past when forceful evictions were carried out in the forest. The security officers and forestry officials have exhibited admirable restraint, monitoring the peaceful exits without applying force. Nonetheless, the dark side of the exercise is beginning to manifest itself. Hundreds of people, including children and women, are being thrown out into the cold without any idea where they will shelter. A new humanitarian crisis is thus unfolding, involving hundreds of displaced people. Thus, while acknowledging that the Government has lived true to its promise of handling the forest evictions in a humane manner, settling the displaced, has not been thought out well. Creating a large pool of helpless people is the stuff that breeds social discontent. And this, ultimately, undermines the legitimate goal of restoring lost forest cover. …
