Locals clash with forest officer over boundary

A section of Mumbaka forest in Budalang'i that is undergoing rehabilitation, some locals have accused forest officer in the area of allegedly planting trees in their land. Photo by Ignatius Odanga.

Forest officers are embroiled in a boundary dispute with farmers in Sisenye, Budalang’i constituency.

The locals accused the officer in-charge of Mumbaka Forest of planting trees on their land.

The farmers claimed they asked Kenya Forest Service (KFS) officers not to plant trees on the disputed land until the boundary was reviewed, but their pleas were ignored.

By Tuesday, officers from Mumbaka forest had planted at least 1,000 seedlings as rehabilitation of the forest continues.

Some of the affected farmers claimed they were chased away by police before the forest officers started planting tree seedlings.  

Eliud Okumu, a farmer, said a portion of his six acres had been taken by the forest. He averred he had owned the land since 1972.

“For us to live peacefully with forest officers, surveyors must come and review the boundary,” said Okumu.

Disputed land

“I will not accept to lose my land to the forest so easily, I will fight to the end." 

Moses Machweni, who is in-charge of Mumbaka Forest, refused to comment on the matter and referred us to the county forest officer, Mr Fredrick Ashono.

Ashono said forest surveyors from Nairobi, the county land surveyor and registrar, visited the disputed land last year after locals raised similar concerns.

He said demarcation was done in the presence of the residents and beacons planted, marking forest land and farms.

“If they feel there is need for fresh boundary review we have no problem but they must follow procedure,” said Ashono.

At the same time the county forest officer said rehabilitation of the forest would continue as it had been invaded by locals.

“If the second boundary review is done and it happens that we have planted  trees in their (farmers) land we will give them the trees."