The government will plant 10 million seedlings within Mau forest after all illegal settlers move out.
Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya said the state will restore the degraded Mau forest, which is the a water catchment area.
Speaking while inspecting Nkoben security operation camp in Narok South sub county on Thursday, Natembeya invited all those interested in planting trees in the forest to make plans and inform the government early.
“Once all these people have moved out of the forest, we will now move to rehabilitation process of forest and we will not allow anybody to go back to the forest to continue with destruction,” said Natembeya.
The regional commissioner was accompanied by Joel Kitili, an official from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and Narok county commissioner Samuel Kimiti.
He said that Mau eviction will go on as planned by the government adding that everything is in order for the eviction process to go on.
The administrator affirmed that so far, more than 3,000 encroachers have heeded the government move and voluntarily moved out of the forest.
“The second phase of eviction targets over 60,000 people and so far over 2,100 individuals have left and 700 families have also moved out of the forest,” he said.
Natembeya asked those who had illegally settled in the forest not to listen to politicians as in the end politicians would only go back to their various homes in other areas.
“People that listen to these politicians, they will incite you and go sleep in Nairobi and leave you in trouble,” he said.
He urged the settlers to voluntarily get out of the forest before the government started door to door eviction.
Natembeya advised the security agencies at the camp to be humane during the eviction as the settlers were also human beings with rights.
He asked locals to welcome and assist those moving out of Mau forest as the state is applying diplomacy in the eviction process.
