The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has welcomed the government's decision to resettle communities resident in eastern Mau forest, saying it will end the inhumane evictions they have endured over the years.
The commission said this will also contribute substantially to the conservation of the country's largest water tower and forest restoration.
Those to be resettled include the Kipsigis, Tugens and the Ogieks.
“We are happy that the government has moved in to resettle some communities in the Mau. This will solve human rights issues that have dominated the past evictions,” KNCHR's Martin Pepela said.
He spoke during the end of a three-day training workshop for Kenya Forest Services staff organised by KNCHR and funded by United Nations Development Programme.
Pepela said the particular communities will enjoy a sense of ownership and assist in the protection of the endangered forest.
He said they have developed a training manual targeting KFS staff and the affected communities.
“For years, KFS members of staff have been blamed for some of the atrocities but we have come to learn that members of the public are also aggressors in issues of forest conservation.”
The KNCHR official said the training manual addresses, among other issues, human rights and community participation.
“We shall also train junior staff from Kenya Forest Services and the neighbouring communities on the respect of human rights so that we can achieve 10 per cent forest cover,” Pepela said.
Patrick Kariuki of KFS said the forest staff and communities will soon enjoy a new beginning of coexistence.
He said conflicts and evictions will be a thing of the past.
“All our staff, from the board of directors to field staff, will be familiarised with the issue of human rights in our operations through this form of training,” he said.
- mwaniki fm
