A court in Narok on Friday declined to issue orders stopping the ongoing forceful eviction of squatters in Mau Forest.
Narok Environment and Land court Judge Mohamed Kullow said the applicants had not presented evidence of any burning of houses and destruction of property.
The decision followed after a section of the evicted settlers moved to the High court to grant them orders to stop the evictions.
The applicants led by Joseph Kimeto, through their lawyer Humphrey Manyonge, want the eviction stopped on grounds it was illegal and a violation of their rights.
In an affidavit, the applicants aver that the eviction is done in an inhumane manner, has subjected the evictees - mostly women and children, to untold suffering.
Judge Kullow directed that the respondents and the interested parties be served with the application for hearing on August 6.
Manyonge, in the application, says that the ranch areas targeted in the operation are not part of the forest.
"In 2008, the government created a cutline to separate the ranches and the forest and the settlers have lawful title deeds for the same. They were further authorised by the government to subdivide the land into individual parcels."
The affected persons claim security officers from Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Wildlife Service are burning their houses, livestock, and beat up the residents.
They further claim that 1,000 acres of their land in Enakishomi group ranch has been destroyed as well.
The settlers have named Environment CS Keriako Tobiko, Narok county commissioner George Natembeya, KWS, and KFS as the respondents.
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