Residents of Maungu Pump area, Taita Taveta County protest KWS eviction notice, December 28, 2017. [Photo/Idris Mohammed]Residents in Maungu Pump area, Taita Taveta County are up in arms following an eviction notice from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).In the eviction notice dated December 27, 2017, KWS Ag Director General Felix Mwangangi ordered them to vacate the land within seven days (which expires on Tuesday January 2, 2017) saying it had been gazetted as part of the Tsavo East National Park.The notice sparked street protests with residents calling for justice and intervention from both County and National governments as they headed .Led by Activist Idris Mohammed and area village elder Esther Wakesho, they protested to the Administration Chief's office, accusing KWS of frequently issuing them with eviction letters despite a boundary between the disputed land and the national park being 16kms away."The government does not recognise us. If it's voting we voted and I don't know why the government is not helping us. Right now we don't have sleep due to the seven-day eviction letter," said Wakesho.They demanded that the government should come out clear and draw out a boundary between them and the national park."We are tired with KWS frustrating us every time. Mwangangi came and started disturbing us with letters that do not have logos," said a male protester.
According to Mohammed who unsuccessfully vied for the Maungu Ward MCA post through the Maendeleo Chap Chap Party (MCCP) in the August general elections, over 3,500 people reside in the disputed land.
He said there was the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project which passed near the area, affecting some residents who were later compensated.The activist wondered why the government compensated the affected residents if the land belonged to the KWS as the institution claimed."I've been living here since my childhood. This is our home and we were born here. The government should help us get justice. We don't have anywhere to go," he said on Thursday.The residents also called on the Mohammed Swazuri-led National Lands Commission (NLC) to intervene and provide them with tittle deeds so as to avoid such cases in future.