A task force on the implementation of a decision by the African court on human and people’s rights issued against the government of Kenya in respect to the rights of the Ogiek Community has received several submissions touching on various violations of human rights.
Under the umbrella Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program, the community members from various counties informed the task force during a Wednesday sitting in Nakuru that despite the land mark Arusha ruling the community is yet to receive justice.
According to the community, various violations of human rights ranging from access to education, land ownership and access to clean water have been meted on the community.
“We are demanding our rights as indigenous of Mau Forest. We want you to be a bridge between us and the government,” a member of the community said.
The community through Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program Director Daniel Kobei are now calling on the task force to play their role genuinely and ensure the community's demands are adhered to.
“We have seen many task forces that have come but failed to deliver. But we have hope in this task force that it will deliver its mandate,” said Kobei.
They are also calling on the government through the Ministry of Lands t ensure they have right ownership of Mau Forest land through reserved title deed.
According to the community, they are the indigenous inhabitants of Mau Forest and the African court confirmed the same.
“Chairman we seek formal entitlement reflecting our ancestral land .We look forward to work with the Ministry of Environment in conserving Mau and the society at large,” said Kobei.
The task force chair Dr. Robert Kibugi said after visiting various blocks of the Mau receivinged memorandums, they will then make a report.
“At the moment we cannot say we have much for public consumption but by May we shall have our report and submit to the CS,” he said.
The meeting was also attended by Kuresoi South MP Joseph Tonui and nominated Senator Victor Prengei.
The landmark ruling was made on May 26, 2017.
The Court found that the Kenyan government violated various rights of Ogiek by evicting them from their ancestral land in Mau Forest.
The court ordered the Kenyan government to take all appropriate measures within a reasonable time frame to remedy all the violations committed against the Ogiek.
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