Nine years ago, hundreds of squatters, who had settled in Embobut forest located in Elgeyo Marakwet and parts of West Pokot counties were evicted, to pave way for conservation
But the eviction marked the beginning constant fights between the Government and the Sengwer, an indigenous community that has lived in the forest for more than a century. The indigenous community has sustained a fight for its place in conservation, claiming it had been sidelined in conservation of a forest, which has been its home since pre-colonial period.
The forest is the source of several rivers like Embobut, Arror and Mon among others that drain their water into Lake Turkana. These rivers are crucial for irrigation in the drought-prone areas of the Kerio Valley belt.
As the world shifts focus to the ongoing COP27 conference in Egypt, where an agenda to help four billion people across the globe adapt to climate change by 2030, the Sengwer want to be fully involved in the conservation of the forest, which is part of the larger Cherangany water tower. The community spokesman Paul Kiptuka says they are protecting the forest while living in it, but the Government on the other hand maintains that no community should live within the water catchment.
"We have coexisted with nature inside the forest because that is our culture. We have, in recent years, developed our community by-laws, which the Government has declined to recognise," the community chairman and spokesman says.
He continues: "The Sengwer has shrines and worship places, circumcision sites, sacred grounds, oathing areas and medicine-rich areas within the forest."
According to the spokesman, the community developed its conservation by-laws, which were approved by the Kenya Forest Service, as it sought to collaborate with the State on Embobut forest conservation and management. Two years ago, a plan by the European Union to inject Sh3.6 billion to hasten the regeneration of the Cherangany water tower was cancelled after the indigenous community complained about human rights violations during evictions.
According to the plan, the Sh3.6 billion would have replenished the declining bamboo and indigenous trees which were destroyed by illegal squatters, and boost water levels in the several rivers and streams which start from within the forest.
"We wrote a letter to the EU after we got wind that the water towers protection money would be used to perpetuate human rights against the community. The EU visited the forest and discovered that our rights were being violated," Mr Kiptuka explained.
He says the community will continue demanding to be part of forest conservation, while living and practicing its culture within it.
"It asked the Government to engage with the Sengwer on how we would collaboratively manage the forest without violent evictions. The State failed to end the injustices and eventually, the water towers programme lapsed as the Government delayed resolving the stand-off," he said.
