State secures more land after Mau evictions

Kenya Forest Service (KFS) inspecting felled trees at the Maasai Mau forest. [ROBERT KIPLAGAT, STANDARD]

Some 12,000 hectares of the Maasai Mau forest have been secured as the first phase of the Government's eviction operation came to a close.

It is estimated that 7,082 people have been kicked out of the forest.

Addressing journalists at his office yesterday, the area county commissioner, George Natembeya, termed the operation as successful.

He said an upsurge in the number of illegal settlers in the forest started in 2013.

“According to the the Hassan Noor report, there were just 7,989 people living in the forest between 2008 and 2009,” said Mr Natembeya.

The commissioner said by the end of the second phase of the evictions, about 40,000 illegal settlers would be flushed out of the forest.

The administrator warned politicians against inciting the evictees against the government.

“Our sole aim is to restore the forest. We are targeting no tribe or community,” said Natembeya.

He was reacting to comments by Bomet Central MP Ronald Tonui and Narok MCAs Jefferson Lang’at (Ololulung’a) and Philip Aruasa (Melelo), who accused government officials of evicting the settlers in an inhumane manner.