Nairobi — Environment and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary nominee Soipan Tuya has declined to give her stand on the plight of the Mau evictees who sought compensation from the government given the inhumane manner they were evicted.
Tuya skirted around the issue by noting that the issue was still in court though she expressed that all eviction done in the country should be conducted in accordance to international human right standards.
She was speaking during her vetting before the National Assembly Appointment Committee on the issue of 35,000 Mau evictees.
"I will not talk much about it as I don't know if it's subject to appeal. It definitely is a matter we can't close our eyes to in terms of the plight of affected communities," Tuya stated.
The Mau evictees were dealt a huge blow after the Narok Environment and Lands Court ruled the government was justified in evicting them.
The court ruled that declared that the evictees do not deserve any compensation or alternative settlement from the government.
"We must not forget the plight of Kenyans affected by certain actions that happen. Kenya is right in step with regards to international standards of evictions and what to do with people affected by such evictions. This are Kenyans who still have dignity bestowed upon them," Tuya said.
The over 35,000 evictees held the argument that the title deeds they had were valid and that they were authentic land owners and that they deserved compensation.
The evictees argued that the land they had settled in was a trust land and not a gazetted forest.
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Meanwhile, Tuya pledged to reinforce the progress made by his predecessors in the protection of the endangered Mau Forest.
Tuya assured that once approved, she will ensure the completion of the fencing of the water catchment whose first phase was concluded.
"We have already started the fencing of the Mau Forest and the first phase is done. I have looked into on the pending budget and the President is clear that it's a question of immediate action to complete the fencing," said Tuya.
The Environment Nominee told the committee that the efforts to protect the water catchment areas in the country will not only focus on the Mau Forest but it will focus on all areas across the country.
"Fencing will settle the question in terms of encroachment. This will not only be about the Mau but other forest which include the Mt Kenya forest and the Aberdares ranges," she said.
In 2021, the government commenced the erection an electric fence in part of the Mau Forest that was estimated to cost Sh73.8 million was expected to protect the forest from any form of destruction to enable it regenerate naturally.
In 2019, the government recouped over 44,000 hectares of the forest after they evicted 35,000 illegal settlers in the forest land.
The fencing of the water catchment area is targeted to happen in two phases with the first phase which is targeted to fence 30 hectares, already underworks.
The fencing process was implemented by Kenya Water Towers in collaboration with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS).
Maasai Mau is one of the 22 blocks forming the Mau Forest Complex which had been illegally encroached after ballooning of five adjacent group ranches during land sub-division.
