Stop brutality in Mau, lawyer tells Attorney General
By People Team, October 7, 2019Felix Yegon and Philip Yegon
A Nairobi-based lawyer has petitioned the Attorney General over alleged harassment of residents of parts of Mau Forest by the Kenya Forest Service officers ahead of planned eviction.
Hillary Kiplang’at said residents have complained of brutality, destruction of crops, livestock and buildings, confiscation of assets, sexual violence against women and girls as well as arbitrary arrests and detention of men.
Kiplang’at, who has filed a case seeking to stop the evictions wants the Attorney General to rein in “errant” officers who he said are disregarding the court’s directive on the matter.
His petition came even as legislators from Rift Valley on Saturday urged President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto to intervene and halt the impending evictions. They also called for the sacking of Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko.
Speaking at Sereng village in Fort-Tenan, Kericho county during the burial of the late Samuel Koech, the lawmakers said those living in the forest legally acquired the land and must, therefore, not be subjected to intimidation and harassment.
They included Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and his Kericho counterpart Aaron Cheruiyot and MPs Hillary Koskei (Kipkelion West), Kipsengeret Koross (Soin-Sigowet) and Nelson Koech (Belgut).
“This is not conservation issue but a plan by Tobiko and (Regional Coordinator George) Natembeya to target innocent people under the guise of environmental conservation.
These people have genuine land title deeds. So we’re asking the president and his deputy to break their silence and stop the plan evictions as a matter of urgency,” said Murkomen.
The leaders said the security officers deployed to the area should be recalled as soon as possible, claiming they were terrorising residents
“The security officers have gone ahead to block roads. They cannot move out of their homes to go get food, essential services and even to seek treatment at the health facilities”, said Cheruiyot.
Harass residents
In his petition, Kiplang’at said his clients were concerned about the acts being carried out by the officers.
“We are disappointed that contrary to your undertakings, the officers deployed to these areas by the Kenya Forest Service continue to harass residents,” reads the letter dated October 2 in parts.
He says despite the office of the AG giving an undertaking that no adverse action would be taken against the residents, the same had been ignored.