Kenyans should reject bid to politicise Mau evictions
Fredrick Ochieng Ouma
Impunity is what best defines the men and women our laws and socio-politico-economic systems have entrusted the mandate of exercising political power on behalf of the over 40 million Kenyans.
It is unfortunate that our leaders continue to use their influence to plunder public resources with abandon, yet the institutions mandated to bring them to account conveniently choose to look the other way. This sad state of affairs leaves the majority of Kenyans desperate for a saviour.
The game of conmanship and systemic short-changing of the motherland is now playing out in the Mau restoration debate. Unscrupulous politicians, equipped with misinformation and narratives that whip up emotions, are using unsuspecting citizens to whom they sold chunks of the forest land, to shield themselves from culpability.
Confident in their antics, the politicians are attempting to fool Kenyans by demanding State compensation for land they illegally acquired and transferred ownership of.
Kenyans of goodwill must not sit and watch as this unfolds. Efforts to restore Mau are central to the survival of millions of lives and livelihoods and nothing should be allowed to frustrate the noble agenda.
The politicians know they definitely stand to lose big in a no-payment scenario and are now moving from one podium to another demanding compensation. They must be dismissed with contempt and stopped in their tracks.
If history is anything to go by, there is a high likelihood of the debate on whether to compensate affected families in the impending evictions may soon gain traction with tribal and political undertones in tow.
If this unfortunate path obtains and proponents have their way, it will deal a big blow to the small but crucial progress the nation has made in the fight against corruption.
The Mau restoration initiative must be implemented as planned, with a compulsory exit of all who have encroached on the forest.
The bigger picture of saving millions of lives that depend on the water tower and which stand threatened by the continued degradation of the complex should be the clarion call in this effort.
It is probable the affected families might have been ignorant of their actions and their impact on the environment when they were duped to buy the forest land, but their exit is now imperative.
All Kenyans, including those affected by the eviction, must refuse to be used as pawns to fight the government efforts to gift the country a healthy ecosystem. It’s obvious the continued degradation of the Mau puts at risk lives of all, including the families that feel inconvenienced by the eviction.
However, the removal of the families from the forest must be done humanely and in line with the UN guidelines on forced evictions to avoid inflicting pain or undue economic and social risk to those affected.
Again, politically speaking, President Uhuru Kenyatta should seize the opportunity to make a loud statement on his avowed bid to fight corruption and impunity.
And in the meantime, relevant institutions should institute a process of investigating and prosecuting individuals who sold public land to unsuspecting poor Kenyans. This dragnet should also target State officials who irregularly issued title deeds to legalise theft. - The writer is Deputy Programmes Officer, Transparency International-Kenya
