The government through the State Department of Land Adjudication and Settlement in collaboration with Narok County Government has set aside 3000 acres of land to settle squatters evicted from Maasai Mau Forest in Olokurto area, Narok North Sub County.
This will be a big relief to over 3000 people who were forcefully evicted from the forest land in October 2023 where they had occupied about 6000 acres of forest land.
Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu and Narok County Commissioner Lotiatia Kipkech, who led the top government officials in a peace baraza in the area said the government was committed to protecting the forest land against any form of destruction in a bid to conserve the mega water catchment land.
Ntutu revealed that though the area had been adjudicated over 40 years ago, the people remained without title deeds as there was no clear forest boundaries.
“When I realized that there is a problem here, I consulted President William Ruto and he agreed to give us 3000 acres to settle those evicted from the forest land. It is better the little that we will have with proper documentation than the huge parcels we occupied illegally in the forest land,” said Ntutu.
The county boss reiterated that all government administrations have failed to issue title deeds to the people living in the area because it was clear that they were living in forest land.
“I am the custodian of the Maasai Mau Forest title deed, and I can confirm to you today that the land you have been occupying is forest land. Please accept the little that the government is offering you free of charge instead of remaining landless,” said Ntutu, in Maa dialect.
Commissioner Kipkech asked the residents to keep off the forest land as the government has provided an alternative land for them to settle.
He asked them to beware of ill-motive people who incited the community to return to forest land saying the land was protected from any human activities.
Deputy Director in the Directorate of Land Adjudication and Settlement Michael Kagwe said 60 surveyors had been deployed in the land for 21 days to demarcate the 3000 acres of land and establish the clear forest boundaries.
Kagwe asked the residents to nominate a committee of 12 people who would help to resettle the beneficiaries in their new pieces of land.
However, the residents led by an advocate of the high court Martin Kamwaro rejected the offer saying they had the original map of the land which proved that they did not occupy the forest land.
Kamwaro vowed to fight in court of law to repossess the land that the residents had been evicted from.
By Ann Salaton
