Govt issues 60-day notice in Mau eviction Phase Two

The government has given over ten 10,000 people in the Mau forest 60 days to voluntarily vacate the area or be evicted.

A 10-member task-force has also been appointed to come up with an elaborate plan to ensure the second phase of the Mau eviction is done successfully.

It will be chaired by Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya and comprises of members from the Kenya Forest Service, KWS and Environment Ministry.

The members include Joel Kitilu (Environment Ministry official), Marcus Ocholla (Rift Valley Regional Commander) and Samuel Kimiti (Narok County Commissioner).

Also in the taskforce are Thomas Mumu (Kenya Water Towers Agency official), Nicholas Muia (Director Kenya Water Towers Agency), Alex Lemarkoko (Kenya Forest Service), Benjamin Ole Tina (Director of Security in Narok County in charge of county rangers), Samuel Murage (Kenya Forest Service) and Abdi Doti (Assistant Director at the Kenya Wildlife Service).

“We will ensure that we conduct the operation in a way no one will feel harassed…” said Natembeya.

On Saturday, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and former Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto held a day-long meeting in Nakuru seeking to have the evictions suspended.

“We will go to Tobiko’s office on Tuesday even if we will not find him,” Murkomen said.

“ We are assuring our people of this…the people in Mau are not in encroached land,” said former Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto.

“Our political leaders should stop giving their people false hope,” Natembeya said.

Natembeya further announced that the government will also start reclaiming encroached parts of other 22 Mau forest blocs.