Environment Cabinet Secretary Prof. Judy Wakhungu at Boma inn in Eldoret town on January 10, 2018 [Photo: Joe Khisa]
A meeting to discuss the progress of Water Towers Protection project was on Wednesday briefly disrupted after a group of participants from the Sengwer community demanded that Environment Cabinet Secretary Prof. Judy Wakhungu issues an order stopping Kenya Forest Service (KFS) from evicting them from Embobut Forest.
Trouble began after the CS, who was the chief guest at the event held in Eldoret town, failed to respond to accusations of forceful evictions from the community.
As soon as she finished giving her address, one of the Sengwer community members confronted her and demanded that she clearly states her stand over the matter.
"You have not said anything about ongoing evictions yet we came all the way from Embobut hoping you'll do something to end the harassments we are experiencing in the hands of the KFS officials," shouted Yator Kitum.
"We need your pronunciation on this matter before you get out of this place," he added.The CS, however, didn't directly respond to the matter and instead insisted that there are no evictions going on.
"As far as I am concerned no eviction is going on in Embobut but we have a security operation aimed at flushing out bandits," noted Prof. Wakhungu.
The respond was not well received by the Sengwer community."We are not bandits. We don't steak cattle and we have never fought with any community in the forest.
What is going on is a calculated plot to force us out of the forest which we will not allow," said another member of the Sengwer community.