The clearing and invasion of 9,629 hectares (23,793.8 acres) of forestland in Ol’Arabel, Baringo South, has left residents greatly worried.
The indigenous Endorois community is raising the alarm, saying they are at risk of natural disasters such as landslides, droughts and floods.
“We fear the massive deforestation would also deprive wildlife of their habitat and may also cause lakes Baringo and Bogoria to dry up,” resident Paul Chepsoi said on Wednesday.
Chepsoi is Endorois Welfare Council secretary and a human rights defender.
He urged the Kenya Forest Service and National Environmental Management Authority to take swift action to address the situation.
Chepsoi accused some local administrators of assigning police officers to harass and intimidate locals before grabbing the land.
“The government servants, including local chiefs, pretend to be protecting public utilities then they conspicuously carve out huge chunks of community land to cultivate and rent out it to outsiders,” he said.
Chepsoi said more than 50 hectares (123.6 acres) had been allocated to Mochongoi police station, another 50 to the administration, and 109 for Mochongoi Hospital against the wishes of the local community.
“None of our people was consulted while all these illegal land annexures were done, even though our old men used to live and protect the ancestral land and its indigenous forest since the 1870s,” he said.
Chepsoi said documents were hidden from the community.
Among the more than 60 villagers championing the protection of the community land are Gitonga Komen, Kipkalia Cherono and David Chirchir.
The areas under contention are Ol’Arabel Forest in Mochongoi, Kapkechir, Lomoiwe, Mochongoi, Kapkisum, Kapsinente, Melewa, Lobolos, Mugur and Kineroi community land.
“Grabbers have started to grab Lobolos. They should be stopped immediately before extending their malicious actions to the entire Mochongoi settlement scheme,” Chirchir said.
Thousands of inhabitants living in the settlement schemes covering then Ol’Arabel and Marmanet forests in Mochongoi are yet to be issued with title deeds.
Apart from endangering human and wildlife, the elders say, the grabbers have cleared trees around their sacred places where they would conduct rituals such as circumcision and prayers.
They say some residents were recently beaten, harassed and driven off their farmlands.
Rev Stephen Cheserem condemned the grabbing and frequent harassment of the residents, saying dialogue is the only way to solve land disputes.
The Endorois community land committee wrote a letter on December 15, 2020, to government authorities appealing for help but nothing has been done.
The committee said the community has suffered a great deal in the hands of encroachers and land grabbers.
It said two previous evictions, in 1973 and 1983, led to massive loss of lives and property.
“We have not rested since 1930. Government officials have been grabbing our land,” Mzee Cherutich.
He said the encroachers exploit the people’s ignorance and illiteracy.
Mochongoi assistant chief Stephen Lobeles however rubbished the claims, saying the hived land is public utility.
“Like any other community in Kenya, our people allocated land for public facilities such as hospitals, police stations, administration and schools,” he said.
Lobeles said he is mandated by law to protect both individual and public property.
He said the "rebel" group's forebears were allocated land elsewhere before they were evicted many years ago.
“Their grandchildren are now the ones coming back to reclaim the land under public use,” Lobeles said.
He to go to court "instead of shouting". “So long as I am still serving as the area assistant chief I am ready to defend the case in any law court,” he said.
He denied that police are using excessive force to harass the residents, saying they are the ones threatening to demolish public facilities.
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya
