Tens of families dependent on farming in Dundori forest through shamba system are at the risk of starvation due reduced food production.
They claim the portions allocated to them by Kenya Forest Service are very small to grow sufficient food for their families.
A resident, Mary Onchari, said they are allocated forest land equivalent to the size of their plots in Dundori trading centre, adding that the small portions are not enough.
“KFS through community forest association has maintained residents should get portions that are the same size as their plots,"she said.
"We find these unfair and discriminating because it leaves out needy families who live in rented houses.”
Speaking during the launch of a free driving course for 125 people from all the five wards of Bahati subcounty sponsored by a businesswoman and philanthropist Irene Njoki, the residents appealed for relief food to save them from starvation.
Among the beneficiaries of the project by Njoki are 50 boda boda riders who did not have licenses.
On the land and food issues, Onchari urged Njoki to lobby the government through KFS to allocate them bigger portions.
Njoki is eyeing the Bahati parliamentary seat.
Another resident, Michael Kimemia said people with less or no land needed the forest land compared to those who owned tracts of land.
“The rationale used to allocate the shamba system land is not fair to the needy members of the community,” he said.
Kimemia said some of the people who sought to benefit from the shamba system were forest evictees who were pushed out of Dundori village in 1988.
Njoki, who has been a long-serving public servant in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure promised to lobby the government to allocate more land in Dundori to the needy families.
“However, you have to adhere to the KFS rules and ensure that the young trees under shamba system are properly taken care of,” she said.
She said the government was only allocating the land so that the farmers could tend the young trees as they also grow food crops.
Njoki, said it was heart-breaking to see families suffering and going hungry in such a productive area.
(Edited by Francis Wadegu)
