All set for Maasai Mau evictions as survey ends

By SATURDAY NATION Correspondent
Posted Friday, April 9 2010 at 21:00 Survey of the Maasai Mau block of the Mau Forest Complex ended on Friday, setting the stage for the third phase of the restoration of the country’s biggest water tower. The chairman of the interim coordinating secretariat, Mr Hassan Noor Hassan, said the evictions would start soon after completion of the survey. At the same time, settlers have vowed to stay put unless they are compensated, which is likely to result in confrontation between them and the government. The settlers want the government to acknowledge that the number of families affected is much higher than the one given by the secretariat. “To say only 1,600 families will be affected by the evictions is to downplay the whole issue when we know very well that the number could go beyond 10,000,” said retired senior chief Christopher Bore, who has come out strongly against the programme. The settlers are also angry over the new boundaries, which they say have reduced the size of their farms. …