The recent debate on Mau forest has taken a U-Turn when the
President and the Prime Minister were quoted in Kisumu saying everyone
living in Mau whether genuinly or ungenuinly will be removed to pave way
for the conservation. The Task force report recommended the relocation
of settlers in Mau without compensation. The PM said in his statement
to the legislatures at the National Assembly on July 29th 2009 that the
fate of the Ogiek shall be vetted later after the eviction exercise so
as they may be allowed back to the forest. The Mau Forest Conservation
should recognize the fact that Ogiek community in particular, has
suffered historical injustices, for instance; Human Rights abuses and
Forced Displacements from their ancestral lands. The two visits made to
Kenya by both UN Special Rappotour Mr. Mikhail Konthari in 2004 and
Prof. Staven Hagen in 2006 recommended that Ogiek community rights,
value and interests be safeguarded as hunter gatherers of the great Mau
forest Complex.
| In reminder, Kenya is a signatory to various UN convections and
several other international standards, some of which include; but are
not limited to, the International Covenant on the Elimination of all
Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), the International Convention on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Convention on the Rights of the
Child, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of
Genocide, the UNESCO Convention Against Discrimination in Education,
the UNESCO Declaration Against Race and Racial Prejudice, and the
Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic,
Religious or Linguistic Minorities adopted by the UN General Assembly
in December 1992, the Convention on Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW), and the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (Article 27).
By implementing the Mau Taskforce report in totality, it means
that the Ogiek community whom issues were assumed and or overlooked in
terms of land rights and human face will result to threat on
fundamental freedom and constitutional rights as enshrined in the Bill
of rights in the Kenyan Constitution and the Universal declaration on
Human Rights. | Some
of the loopholes identified in the report were; unidentified
boundaries, no consultation with the Ogiek and free informed consent,
lack of human face, no alternative land and no mode of compensation.
Ogiek community thus appeal for our partners and friends
to rise up for solidarity and agitate for "Ogiek rights are in Mau
Forest". Please write protesting letters and petitions to the Hon.
President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and Hon Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
For more information, do not hesitate to contact us..
Regards
--
Kiplangat Cheruyot
Human Rights Officer,
Ogiek Peoples Development Program (OPDP)
P.O Box 622, Narok, TEL: +254 722 984810 / +254 51 2213803
Nakuru Office: Nyamakoroto Hse, Biashara Street, 2nd Flr,Rm 210
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