The Ogiek Indigenous community has called on the national government and the National Land Commission (NLC) to expedite their compensation and resettlement program.
Led by the Executive Director of Ogiek’s People Development Program(OPDP), Daniel Kobei, the community decried of lack of political goodwill in the implementation of the recommendation of the court.
Speaking during a thanksgiving service at Nessuit Primary School in Njoro sub-county, Kobei urged the president to instruct ministries concerned to fast-track the implementation of the ruling of the court as far as the people of Ogiek’s rights are concerned.
“We want the president to take it upon himself and instruct the ministries concerned to be able to implement the African court case both for 2017 and 2022,” he said.
“Every ministry especially the ministry of environment, ministry of lands, ministry of finance they have a role. The Ministry of the Environment has a role to de-gazette or give the Ogiek back their land, Ministry of Land documents and make it clear the ancestral land of the Ogiek community and the Ministry of Finance is what we compensation which was set for the Ogiek community and it’s their role to pay.”
Ogiek Indigenous community asks the government to expedite their compensation pic.twitter.com/9QQXYEwwsH
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Ogiek day
The Ogiek community led by Kobei planted trees on Wednesday, May 26, 2024, to celebrate Ogiek Day, the seventh anniversary of the commemoration of the Ogiek land ruling on 26th May 2017.
“This is the Ogiek day we call it Ogiek day because it is the day the Ogiek won the case in the African court and as a community we cannot forget this day because we have been fighting for the rights of our lands and resources,” Kobei explained.
“AS the Ogiek we are ready to protect the environment even today we planted trees as an assurance that we are true conservators of the Mau forest complex.”
The OPDP director went on to accuse the attorney general of not collaborating with them, adding that he has been unkind to the Ogiek community.
“So far I think the attorney general has not been kind to the Ogiek he had not written in fact when we had a meeting with the agencies they were not able to tell or write to them and tell them how the case should have been and today we are saying and speaking to the attorney general even through our president to fast track the compensation,” he said.
He noted that the journey towards the realization of their rights has not been a walk in the park.
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