State urged to rally donors to pay victims of Mau eviction

What you need to know:

  • Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok said politicians and government technocrats should stop the blame game over settlement, eviction and rehabilitation of the Mau complex.

  • President Kenyatta has repeatedly snubbed advances by governors and MPs from the region to meet him and address the issue in the last one year.

The government has been asked to rally the international and the donor community to compensate the over 70,000 families affected in from Mau Forest eviction.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has also been asked to open the door to dialogue over the eviction of families living around the complex with a view to finding a lasting solution to the humanitarian crisis.

Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok said since the Mau water tower was a regional resource, the countries benefiting from it should team up with the Kenya government to compensate the families affected.

POOL RESOURCES

“Since we are all as governments, institutions and leaders committed to conservation of Mau Forest, it is important that we pool resources, tag the international community to raise funds towards compensation of families affected in the eviction,” said Dr Barchok.

Dr Barchok added: “It is important as leaders with the President taking the lead, that we sit down and soberly address the issue with a view to sorting the issue once and for all and avert a humanitarian crisis with the impending eviction of another 60,000 families living around the forest.”

Dr Barchok was speaking at Chepalungu Forest during a kick off of rehabilitation of the resource by the Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), with the planting of 25,000 seedlings in a function attended by WWF Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Awer, Chief Conservator of Forests Julius Kamau, Mau ecosystem Regional coordinator George Njenga, Bomet ecosystems coordinator Ann Nyaoke and her Nakuru counterpart Francis Misonge among others.

“The reason why the evictees are suffering is because the political class has failed to come together and address the all-important issue that goes beyond conservation. We should not create unprecedented humanitarian crisis in an issue that can amicably be sorted,” said Dr Barchok.

The governor said politicians and government technocrats should stop the blame game over settlement, eviction and rehabilitation of the Mau complex.

President Kenyatta has repeatedly snubbed advances by governors and MPs from the region to meet him and address the issue in the last one year.

Mr Kenyatta has been accused by a section of politicians from the region of turning his back against the people who backed him in his presidential contest.