Mark Agutu and Erick Ngobilo
23 October 2009
Nairobi — Uninhabited land which was illegally excised in Likia and Mariashoni areas of Mau Forest will be the first to be reclaimed by the government in the next one month.
Attention will then shift to south-western Mau, where 19,000 hectares being occupied by squatters will be taken back in the second of a five-phase recovery programme, according to the team overseeing reclamation of the crucial water tower.
The first two phases will be concluded before the first week of December, said Mr Hassan Noor Hassan, chairman of the Interim Coordinating Secretariat for the Mau Forest Complex.
The last three phases of the programme will deal with settlers who hold genuine titles to the portions of land they occupied, Mr Hassan added.
The last leg is expected to take longer as it will be undertaken with the guidance and approval of a special team of legal experts, including the attorney-general, as had been recommended by the Cabinet and Parliament, Mr Hassan said.
"This is an area that requires closer attention as we are dealing with the issue of the sanctity of titles," he told a media briefing in Nakuru Town on Friday.
The group affected in this phase will be considered for compensation but only after the same team has developed relevant modalities and scrutinised the property on the portions of land.
Once every area is cleared of settlers, surveyors will move in to demarcate boundaries of the critical catchment areas to prevent future encroachment.
Mr Hassan maintained that his team was on course in discharging its mandate, contrary to claims from certain quarters that the team was falling behind in carrying out the programme.
"We are not behind schedule. Our intention is to do things in an organised manner, so that people do not suffer," said the chairman.
Ordered to leave
Elsewhere, squatters in Webuye Hills have been ordered to leave immediately to pave the way for tree planting.
Bungoma East district commissioner John Litunda said afforestation in the hills would begin soon.
"I have directed the district agriculture officer and his forestry counterpart to ensure they start afforestation in the area," Mr Litunda said.
He further directed the district officer and chiefs in the area to ensure trees in the hills were not felled.
It is estimated the hills cover 400 hectares. Unconfirmed reports put the number of families illegally settled in the hills at more than 500.
Area MP Alfred Sambu, who attended the meeting on the evictions, said the hills had to be conserved to protect Webuye Town against environmental hazards like landslides and soil erosion.
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