The government yesterday said there will be no turning back on the ongoing operation targetting illegal Mau Forest settlers.
Environment CS Keriako Tobiko told politicians opposed to the evictions to stop politicising the crackdown, maintaining the government will not suspend it.
“If you are occupying Mau and you have encroached on it, it doesn’t matter if you are a Kisii, Kikuyu, Maasai or Kalenjin, or any other green man from planet Mass, you have to get out,” he told the Star.
Tobiko was responding to claims by some politicians from the Rift Valley that the evictions are political.
“This is absolutely not negotiable. It’s not only critical for the government and the future generations, but also for the world,” he said.
The minister said the government is committed to sorting out the thorny Mau issue “once and for all”.
He warned politicians against character assassination.
“Those interested in throwing in my name, saying because I’m a Maasai I’m conflicted on the issue, should be part of the solution,” Tobiko said.
He said the ministry will be issuing a comprehensive roadmap on the Mau issue in a couple of days.
At the weekend, some Jubilee leaders demanded that Tobiko speak out and state his position on Mau as evictions raged.
Kericho senator Aaron Cheruiyot alleged there was a political scheme targetting a particular community living in the area.
“In Mau Forest, there are two operations. One is saving the forest, which we all support, but there is another operation aimed at reducing the Kalenjins significantly in Narok to solve some political equation,” Cheruiyot said at Moi Sitotwet Secondary School in Kericho on Friday.
“We demand that CS Tobiko declares his interest in this Mau saga. How come he is silent yet the major agencies taking part in flushing out the people like the Kenya Forest Service and the Kenya Water Towers Agency are under his ministry?”
Ainamoi MP Sylvanus Maritim questioned why the government built schools and campaigned in the contested areas during the last general election, only to turn against the settlers.
