The government on Saturday committed to resolving disputed land ownership of several settlements in Nakuru County.
Lands Principal Secretary Nixon Korir assured residents of five settlements of Nakuru County that the government will restore their ownership rights in compliance with the High Court ruling.
The PS, while in Marioshoni Ward in Nakuru County, said the Ministry of Lands and Forestry will embark on remarking the border between the settlements and the Mau Forest as per the directive of the High Court.
PS Korir, who was in the company of members of parliament from the area, further noted that the delineation of boundaries will commence immediately followed by the issuing of title deeds.
Ministry of Lands Physical Planning Principals Secretary Nixon Korir addressing graduands at Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping on Friday, June 16, 2023.
Photo
PS Nixon Korir
Earlier in a court ruling, Justice John Mutungi said the residents had sufficiently proved they were rightful owners and occupants in pieces of land allocated to them by the government.
“The court has directed us to follow the legal notice of 2001. We have come to place beacons of the Mau Forest and then issue titles,” PS Korir stated.
The squatters had moved to court seeking compensation after being illegally evicted from lands they claimed were not part of the forest.
Over 3,000 residents were evicted from the Mau Forest with the government maintaining the evictions were meant to restore forest land and conserve water catchment area which was encroached on.
The squatters wanted the court to review the 2001 gazette notifications which led to the degazetting of 35,000 hectares for the settlement of squatters.
The ensuing demarcation of land to settlements gave rise to six blocks of settlement schemes in Kuresoi, Molo, and Njoro constituencies which border the Eastern part of the Mau Forest.
Through their lawyer, Bernhard Ngetich, the squatters faulted the government for failing to declare the correct boundaries of the forest and settlement schemes. The government had not filed any case to challenge the validity of over 2000 title deeds held by families that proved the ownership of land.
It comes as former Lands Cabinet Secretary Zachariah Njeru in September 2023 announced that the State had lifted a more than 20-year caveat on land located on the fringes of Mau Forest.
President William Ruto, on July 15, threatened that Kenya would withdraw from the East African Court of Justice should the Arusha-based court not lift a caveat on Mau Forest. The President said the court had until December 2024 to heed his demand.
“It is not acceptable that citizens are living as squatters because of no act of their fault and because there is a court that does not respect the rights of other people,” he defended the decision.
A panoramic view of Mau Forest land
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