Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry Cabinet Secretary nominee Aden Duale has fired a warning to grabbers of forest land.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Vetting on Friday, August 2, 2024, Duale warned that he had already been briefed about the grabbers of the forest lands.
Duale on land grabbers
The former Ministry of Defense CS pointed out that should he be approved to assume office as the Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry CS, senior government officials and a section of Members of Parliament (MPs) will be casualties of his fight against the grabbers.
Duale stated that he had also been briefed about the grabbers of the Oloolua forest land, which is located between Karen and Ngong.
MPs Kimani Ichung’wah and Junet Mohamed pushed Duale to name the said senior government officials and MPs that have grabbed the forest lands, but he declined, noting that he will only do so once he assumes office.
Duale on title deeds
Duale pointed out that a number of title deeds, including big people in government, will be revoked within 30 days once he assumes office.
“The history of forests being grabbed and being encroached is as old as the Republic of Kenya. In my entire life in Parliament, from the Mau Forest when the late John Michuki was the minister for environment, it is a recurrence.
“Coming specifically on the issue of Oloolua, I want to categorically, without fear of contradiction, state that if this house approves me, in the first 30 days, working together with the Ministry of Lands and other state agencies, a number of title deeds belonging, and including big people who are in government, some of them Members of Parliament, will be revoked,” Duale stated.
Oloolua Forest land concerns
In March 2024, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) was forced to issue a clarification on the Oloolua forest land after concerns by a section of Kajiado County leaders who said that there was a plot to grab over 50 acres of the land.
KFS termed the claims as misleading, stating that no one had been allocated the forest land.
“Following public concerns regarding the alleged grabbing of a parcel of Oloolua Forest in Kajiado County, L.R. No. 23269, Kenya Forest Service seeks to make a clarification on the matter. The portion of land in question is currently occupied by four government agencies. There is absolutely no individual who has been allocated land within Oloolua Forest,” KFS said in a statement.
Duale, should he get approved by parliament, will assume office at a time when atters are demanding to be settled by the government, some of whom have been encroaching forest lands.
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