Families kicked out of Mau forest still in the cold

By Wanjiru Macharia
Posted Tuesday, July 20 2010 at 21:00 Settlers evicted from South Western Mau are still in makeshift camps one year later even as the government plans to move to the next phase of evictions. While some left the camps after realising that nothing was forthcoming, more than 1,000 families are still languishing at the centres with little food and medical care. Families in nine temporary camps in Kuresoi district have been hit hard after all humanitarian agencies pulled out. They are surviving on handouts from well-wishers and income from menial jobs in neighbouring farms. On the brighter side though, most of the more than 20,000 hectares they vacated have regenerated on their own. On Tuesday, the head of Mau Conservancy, Mr Cosmas Ikiugu, said the Kenya Forest Service and other environmental organisations and donors had managed to plant trees on 5,000 hectares of the vacated forest block. He said tree planting in the Mau would continue depending on the rains and availability of funds. He, however, could not give the actual amount of money spent in the rehabilitation since it was a combined effort of several organisations. Shrubs, bamboo and indigenous trees had regenerated in the other 15,000 hectares that had been under cultivation. Mr Ikiugu said South Western Mau was still under tight security of forest guards to ensure that the evictees did not troop back to the forest.

Families kicked out of forest still in the cold