Mau-Raila fights back

Eight MPs among them Minister William Ole Ntimama, Assistant Ministers Mwangi Kiunjuri and Cecile Mbarire accused Uhuru of playing politics into the Mau issue and challenged him to look for money from Treasury to have the squatters resettled. Their sentiments echoed those of Charity Ngilu (Water and Irrigation Minister and Kitui Central MP), Wavinya Ndeti (Youth Affairs and Kangundo MP) and Emilio Kathuri (Manyatta) who all told Ruto and allies stop using the Mau issue for political gains.

Speaking in her Kitui Central constituency, Mrs Ngilu told off politicians blaming the Prime Minister over the restoration of the forest, insisting that it was a government decision.

The Water Minister told Raila to remain steadfast over the issue since the entire country was solidly behind him.“The whole issue was discussed at length during our Cabinet meeting. What was never discussed was forceful evictions which the government must not engage in,” said Mrs Ngilu.

The Ntimama group while addressing a press conference at Parliament buildings, described as ‘hypocritical and guilty of opportunism and blatantly exploiting ethnic politics’ ministers purporting to oppose the government on conservation of the Mau Forest. If there ever was a governance dilemma, they said the Mau issue is, but hastened to add that to conserve the water tower is urgent and important, but cannot and should not be politicized’.

Inside Parliament, Wildlife Minister Dr Noah Wekesa clashed with MPs Joshua Kutuny (Cherengani, ODM), and Isaac Ruto (Chepalungu, ODM) when he delivered a statement on the progress of the evictions.

Kutuny claimed that Dr Wekesa’s land in Trans Nzoia was sliced off Mt. Elgon and wondered when he would surrender it back to the government. But a furious Wekesa clarified that the land was not annexed from Mt. Elgon, stating that he bought it in 1972 from a White Settler; Hue Balla who had occupied it since the 2nd World War. Wekesa said the evictees will not be compensated, but promised that the government will give them money for a month’s upkeep. Those who will benefit are those profiled and registered. He supported the government’s plan to restore water catchment towers noting that the destruction within Mau will cost the government Sh38 billion. The Minister hit out at a section of politicians he did not name for allegedly visiting camps where the evictees are settled and telling them not to leave.

He clarified that it unfortunate that as early as 2005 there were no squatters in South West Mau and wondered why politicians were claiming that the evictees had no homes to go back to.

Ntimama and his group said the million dollar question is where these champions were when government evicted people from Mt Elgon, Mt Kenya, Aberdares and even most recently Embolot forest in Marakwet. “Were those who were evicted not Kenyans? Were they not equally entitled to the privileges the government has offered to the evictees of Mau such as transport, food, medicine and blanket?,” said a statement that was read by Kiunjuri. In what appeared like hitting out at Ministers Ruto, Franklin Bett, Henry Kosgey for opposing the evictions, the group wondered whether they have forgotten that those evicted 20 years and as early as last year have not been resettled.

Even those who have been lucky to be settled like in Solio Ranch are living in torn tents and inhuman conditions, they added. “Why have they never visited those evictees across the country? Why have some of them never voiced their concern about IDPs and contributed towards them?” they posed. They declared their unwavering support for the government and in particular the Prime Minister Raila Odinga, warning political opportunists ‘that this country is greater than all of them’. They however confirmed that the said leaders have a bone to pick with the Prime Minister noting that it was unfortunate that they are using Mau to settle political scores, an issue that is going to affect the lives of children and great grand children. “We wonder whom they will rule if Kenyans water catchment area like Mau is destroyed and the country is plunged into drought and hunger”,