MP wants Mau evictees given Sh3b UK cash

Kipkelion West MP Hillary Koskei (pictured) has said the Government should use part of the funds it will receive from the UK for the conservation of the Mau Forest to compensate families evicted from the water tower.

Speaking at Barsele trading centre on Saturday, Mr Koskei said at least Sh3 billion from the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) funding should go to the families.

“While admitting the Mau Forest Complex to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, we hope Queen Elizabeth II remembered many Kipsigis and Talai clan went to live in the forest because her government displaced their forefathers from their ancestral land in 1901 when the colonial government hived out around 200,000 hectors in Kericho for tea growing,” said the MP.

Water tower

His sentiments came a few days after the expansive Mau Forest Complex was admitted to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC). The move is aimed at boosting the Government’s efforts to conserve the water tower.

The admission means that Mau Forest will be part of highly-conserved forests like the Great Bear forest in Canada, Arboretum of Ruhande in Rwanda, Mt Elgon in Uganda, Tacumaga in Sierra Leonne among others across 45 countries in Commonwealth countries.

The MP said he will present a proposal to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) to address the size of land in the hands of multinational firms.