Attempts by the Ogiek community to launch their register in Molo Sub-County was thwarted after they were dispersed by the police.
More than 300 members of the Ogiek led by their Council of Elders National Chairperson Joseph Towett Kimaiywo had gathered at Mariashoni trading centre on Friday to launch their register.
ARMED POLICEMEN
However, moments after Mr Towett took to the podium to address the gathering, acting Senior Chief Daniel Ngurule, who was accompanied by two armed police officers, stormed the meeting and ordered the gathering disperse.
“This is an illegal meeting and therefore I order all of you to disperse,” said Mr Ngurule.
Mr Towett said the meeting date was fixed last December and the main objective was to discuss the historical injustices against the community.
“Members of the Ogiek have been arrested and charged for invading the Mau Forest yet they are the indigenous inhabitants of the forest,” said Mr Towett.
He said the meeting was also set to discuss the resettlement of the Ogiek following the government’s decision to evict illegal settlers from the water tower last year.
ARUSHA COURT
The official said that the members also wanted to deliberate on the implementation of the Arusha Court verdict which ordered the government to prepare a comprehensive register of Ogieks and resettle them without.
However, six years after the historic Arusha Court ruling the National Land Commission has not prepared the register of the community which has about 5,788 members.
The Ogiek have moved to High Court in Nairobi to push the government to obey the Arusha court verdict.
AUTHENTIC DOCUMENT
“Today we wanted to launch the register and hand it over the government so that it can have an authentic document to resettle all members of the Ogiek community,” added Mr Towett.
He added: “The Ogiek know each other and that is why we have prepared the register and it is sad the government is not addressing the historical injustices against the community.”
Mr Towett blamed powerful individuals in the government for influencing the termination of the Mariashoni meeting.
“We are very much aware of powerful individual in the government who grabbed huge chunks of land in Mau Forest and has been frustrating our efforts to get justice but we shall continue pressing for our constitutional rights,” said Mr Towett.