The Commission on Administrative Justice, more commonly known as the Office of the Ombudsman, has weighed into the ongoing ejection of persons inhabiting Mau Forest Complex in Narok County.
In the wake of evictions in Sasimwani and Nkareta areas of Narok County, the commission’s chairperson Florence Kajuju wants the state to particularly take cognizance of the fact that there is a ruling stopping the eviction of the Ogiek Community
from the forest.
“We want to bring to your attention that the African Court on Human and People’s Rights judgement that was delivered in June 2022 in favor of the Ogiek Community was particular on what steps the government of Kenya must take to place the Ogiek back in the position they would have been had none of the human rights violations meted upon them occurred,” said Kajuju in a letter to the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Environment Soipan Tuyah.
“It is worth noting that the orders include a stoppage of the future evictions of the Ogiek Community from their ancestral land,” she added
While recognizing the need to conserve the environment, Kajuju says the notice to reclaim Mau Forest from encroachment and illegal logging ought to take into consideration the orders of the African Court and the rights of the persons affected by the proposed reclamation initiatives.
“The commission would like to advise that the evictions undertaken by multi-agency security teams should be in compliance with the constitution and the relevant legislation put in place,” said the Ombudsman
