The government will verify within a week the origin and identity of Mau evictees residing in makeshift camps on the edge of the water tower to relocate them before Christmas.
A joint review meeting hosted today by Prime Minister Raila Odinga, attended by the Mau Secretariat and Ministers George Saitoti Naomi Shaban, James Orengo and Noah Wekesa was happy with the progress of the eviction process.
Addressing the press at Treasury after the meeting, Special Programmes Minister Naomi Shabaan, said over 50 thousand acres of the forest has been reclaimed and a reforestation programme is on course.
Shabaan called on the political class to stop politicizing the exercise adding that a tree nursery with over 300,000 seedlings has been established for replanting of reclaimed land.
She said the government has so far spent 12.2 million shillings on food and non food items distributed to the evictees.
She added that plans are underway to start the second phase targeting those with title deeds.
The minister said the joint meeting underscored the government's commitment to a humane relocation of families from the forest.
Fundraiser
On Wednesday, MPs from Rift Valley held a fund raising event where 5 million shillings was contributed to assist the evictees.
The event was however criticized by a section of MPs who termed it as an act of hypocrisy.
10 Cabinet Ministers and 47 legislators including Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Tourism Minister Najib Balala attended the controversial fund raising, at KICC, Nairobi .
Sharp divisions have emerged within ODM party over the Mau saga that has taken a political dimension.
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Shaban needs to make up her mind
ReplyDeleteA majority of Kenyans are in support of the government's efforts in evicting people from forests.
ReplyDeleteAn opinion poll released Monday by Strategic PR touching on environmental degradation and eviction of illegal settlers from forests indicates an overwhelming 83% of Kenyans feel forests should be conserved.
Among its findings 46.6% of the respondents interviewed say MP's claiming the evictions are been carried out inhumanely are doing so to gain political mileage.
22.8% are also expressing disappointment with the government for allowing too much politics to be drown into the environmental debate, with 65% saying the Mau issue poses a challenge to the realization of the reform agenda.
At the same time on matters constitution, 16.6% of Kenyans want issues surrounding devolution of power be looked into keenly, followed by the question of land reform.
The countrywide poll done in all the eight provinces between the 12th and 16th of December, interviewed 3000 people.
Ruto should just give up and look for another excuse to fight Raila instead of using Mau.
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