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Kenya: Indigenous and Forest-dwelling Communities Report Illegal Evictions from Ancestral Lands during COVID-19 Pandemic

Kiswahili / Swahili
Sengwer walk out of meeting with UNDP and County Commissioner (via FPP)

Adapted from Community Land Action Now statement and other sources by Holly Jonas, ICCA Consortium Global Coordinator.

The ICCA Consortium joins more than 150 other organisations in signing a solidarity statement condemning the Kenyan government’s forced eviction of Ogiek and Sengwer families from their homes and ancestral lands in the name of conservation.

As cold weather prevails mid-year in Kenya and temperatures plummet in the highland territories of Indigenous peoples and forest-dwelling communities, COVID-19 is surging across the East African country. But rather than being able to shelter safely in their homes, hundreds of families were evicted from their ancestral lands and their homes and farms destroyed by their own government in early July 2020.

The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) reportedly demolished over 300 Ogiek homes and destroyed fences, farms and livestock in the Mau Forest. Children and other vulnerable community members have been left homeless during the pandemic.

In Embobut Forest in the Cherangany Hills, the KFS reportedly burned 28 Sengwer homes on 10 July, including their blankets, utensils and other essential belongings.

READ MORE: “Press Release: Kenyan authorities burn down 28 homes belonging to indigenous Sengwer community in Embobut Forest” by the Sengwer of Embobut CBO and Forest Peoples Programme

In both cases, the Kenya government has argued that the evictions are necessary in order to conserve the Mau and Embobut Forests, which are large closed canopy forests and important watersheds. The government has repeatedly claimed that preserving this ecosystem takes priority over land claims of the Ogiek, Sengwer and other communities. This flies in the face of a growing body of evidence that honouring land rights is the foundation for equitable and sustainable conservation of forests.

In its May 2017 judgment, the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights declared that the Ogiek were not responsible for the depletion of the Mau Forest, and conservation of the forest could not be used to justify the Ogiek’s eviction, nor could it be used to deny their rights to practice their traditional livelihoods. The Court also ruled the Mau Complex was indeed the ancestral land of the Ogiek, to which they therefore hold rights.

“Restoring Ogiek Land Rights: A Story of Unity and Resilience.” Produced by Jason Taylor/International Land Coalition (2018)

Likewise, the Sengwer’s traditional knowledge system – now articulated in written bylaws – has long conserved their forest home. Like the Ogiek, this forest-dependent community still holds intact forest sacrosanct even as their ways of life have been undermined by decades of government policy, which have left the forests vulnerable to illegal logging, poaching and encroachment by outsiders.

READ MORE: “Amid ongoing evictions, Kenya’s Sengwer make plans to save their ancestral forest” by Anthony Langat, 24 September 2018, Mongabay.

Several organisations and networks have spoken out about these violations. A group of eight Kenyan and international human rights and conservation organisations issued a statement on 13 July 2020 expressing grave concern over the forced evictions and burning of 28 Sengwer homes, particularly in light of the Presidential declaration of a moratorium on evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ogiek Peoples Development Programme (ICCA Consortium Member) called for international pressure on the Kenyan government to immediately halt evictions of Indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands.

Community Land Action Now (CLAN), a network of community leaders and community-based organisations in Kenya that includes several ICCA Consortium Members and Honorary members, issued a statement and held a press conference on 23 July 2020. The ICCA Consortium joined more than 150 other organisations in signing this statement.

CLAN’s statement asks that the government of Kenya:

  1. “Stop evicting traditional forest peoples, listen to the sacrifices they are uniquely willing and able to make to save their forests for themselves and all Kenyans, and agree a practical and fair path forward with each community;
  2. Honour the protection due to still-untitled community lands throughout the country by ceasing to ‘grab’ and turn our woodlands and forests into Public Forests; invest instead in helping us declare and manage these as Protected Community Forests on our own community lands;
  3. Respond in the spirit of devolution and fairness to requests to return County Forests and Wildlife Reserves to the customary communities from whom they were taken;
  4. Recognize that the old strategies of granting access, use rights and benefits is meaningless for as long as our forests are not recognized as our own; and
  5. Uphold the rule of law.”

WATCH: “Kenyan communities report illegal evictions during COVID-19,” virtual press conference organised by Community Land Action Now on 23 July 2020.

For more information, refer to national, regional and global news coverage such as:

Updates will be added here as more information becomes available.

Featured image: Sengwer representatives walk out of a negotiation meeting in early July 2020 after attempted intimidation by the County Commissioner and UN Development Programme representative. © via Forest Peoples Programme.

 

Kiswahili / Swahili

Kenya: Jamii ya kiasili na ile inayoishi msituni wameripoti kufukuzwa bila kufuata taratibu kwenye ardhi ya mababu zao wakati wa janga la Korona

Sengwer walk out of meeting with UNDP and County Commissioner (via FPP)

Imenakiliwa kutoka taarifa ya Community Land Action Now (Jumuia ya Maswala ya Ardhi Sasa) na vyanzo vingine, imeandikwa na Holly Jonas, Mratibu wa Kimataifa wa Muungano wa ICCA.

Muungano wa ICCA unaungana na mashirika mengine zaidi ya 150 kusaini taarifa ya mshikamano wa kulaani kitendo cha serikali ya Kenya kuwafukuza kwa lazima familia za Ogiek na Sengwer kwenye makazi  na ardhi za mababu zao kwa kisingizio cha uhifadhi.

Huku hali ya hewa ya baridi ikitanda katikati ya mwaka nchini Kenya na hali ya joto ikishuka katika maeneo ya nyanda za juu za watu wa kiasili na jamii zinazoishi misituni, ugonjwa wa Korona unaongezeka katika nchi ya Afrika Mashariki. Lakini badala ya kuweza kujikinga kwa usalama katika nyumba zao, mamia ya familia zilifukuzwa kutoka kwenye ardhi ya mababu zao na nyumba zao, na mashamba yao kuharibiwa na serikali  mapema mwezi wa saba 2020.

Idara ya Huduma ya Misitu nchini (KFS) inaripotiwa kubomoa zaidi ya nyumba 300 za Ogiek na kuharibu uzio, mashamba na mifugo katika Msitu wa Mau. Watoto na wanajamii wengine walio katika mazingira magumu wameachwa bila makaazi wakati wa janga hilo.

Katika Msitu wa Embobut kwenye Milima ya Cherangany, KFS iliripotiwa kuchoma nyumba 28 za jamii ya watu wa Sengwer mnamo Julai 10, ikiwa ni pamoja na blanketi, vyombo vya ndani na mali zao nyingine muhimu.

PATA TAARIFA ZAIDI HAPA: “Taarifa kwa Vyombo vya Habari: Mamlaka ya Kenya yateketeza nyumba 28 za jamii ya wazawa wa Sengwer katika Msitu wa Embobut” imeandikwa na Shirika la Kijamii ya Jamii ya Sengwer ya Embobut CBO na Mradi wa Watu wa Misituni.

Katika visa vyote viwili, serikali ya Kenya imesema kuwa kufukuzwa kwa jamii hizi ni muhimu ili kuhifadhi Misitu ya Mau na Embobut, ambayo ni misitu mikubwa iliyofungamana na maeneo muhimu yenye vyanzo vya maji. Serikali imedai mara kwa mara kwamba kuhifadhi mfumo huu wa ikolojia kunapewa kipaumbele zaidi ya madai ya ardhi ya jamii za watu wa Ogiek, Sengwer na jamii nyinginezo. Hii ni licha ya ongezeko la ushahidi kwamba kuheshimu haki za ardhi ndio msingi wa uhifadhi wa misitu kwa usawa na endelevu.

Katika uamuzi wake wa Mei 2017, Mahakama ya Afrika ya Haki za Kibinadamu na Watu ilitangaza kwamba Ogiek hawakuwajibika kwa uharibifu wa Msitu wa Mau, na uhifadhi wa msitu haungeweza kutumika kuhalalisha kufukuzwa kwa Ogiek, na haungeweza kutumika kuwanyima haki zao za kuendesha maisha yao ya kitamaduni. Mahakama pia iliamua kwamba eneo la Mau (Mau Complex) ilikuwa kweli ardhi ya mababu wa Ogiek, ambayo kwa hiyo wanahaki.

“Kurejesha Haki za Ardhi ya Ogiek: Hadithi ya Umoja na Ustahimilivu.” Imetolewa na Jason Taylor/International Land Coalition (2018)

Vile vile, mfumo wa maarifa wa jadi ya Sengwer – ambao sasa umefafanuliwa katika sheria ndogo ndogo – umehifadhi makazi yao ya msitu kwa muda mrefu. Kama Ogiek, jamii hii inayotegemea misitu bado inashikilia utakatifu wa msitu hata kama njia zao za maisha zimeharibiwa na miongo kadhaa ya sera za serikali, ambayo imeacha misitu katika hatari ya ukataji miti haramu, ujangili na uvamizi wa watu kutoka nje.

PATA HABARI ZAIDI HAPA: “Huku kukiwa na ufurushaji unaoendelea, Sengwer wa Kenya hufanya mipango ya kuokoa msitu wa mababu zao” na Anthony Langat, 24 Septemba 2018, Mongabay.

Mashirika na mitandao kadhaa imezungumza kuhusu ukiukaji huu. Kundi la mashirika nane ya Kenya na kimataifa ya haki za binadamu na uhifadhi walitoa taarifa tarehe 13 Julai 2020 wakielezea wasiwasi wao juu ya kufukuzwa kwa lazima na kuchomwa moto kwa nyumba 28 za Sengwer, haswa kwa kuzingatia tamko la Rais la kusitishwa kwa watu kufukuzwa wakati wa janga kubwa la Korona.

Shirika la kijamii la jamii ya Ogiek (Ogiek Peoples Development Programme)  ambalo ni mwamnachama wa ICCA Consortium ulitoa wito wa shinikizo la kimataifa kwa serikali ya Kenya kusitisha mara moja kufukuzwa kwa watu wa kiasili kutoka kwa ardhi ya mababu zao.

Jumuia ya Maswala ya Ardhi Sasa (Community Land Action Now- CLAN), mtandao wa viongozi wa jamii na mashirika ya kijamii nchini Kenya ambayo yanajumuisha Wanachama kadhaa wa Muungano wa ICCA na wanachama wa Heshima, walitoa taarifa na kufanya mkutano na waandishi wa habari tarehe 23 Julai 2020. Muungano wa ICCA ulijiunga na zaidi ya mashirika mengine mia moja hamsini (150) katika utiaji saini taarifa hii.

Taarifa ya CLAN inauliza kwamba serikali ya Kenya:

  1. “Iache kuwafukuza watu wa asili wa msituni, na isikilize kujitolea kwao na uwezo wa kipekee ili kuokoa misitu yao kwa ajili yao wenyewe na Wakenya wote, na kukubaliana na njia ya kimatendo na ya haki mbele kwa kila jamii;
  2. Heshimu ulinzi kutokana na ardhi za jamii ambazo bado hazijamilikiwa nchini kote kwa kuacha ‘kunyakua’ na kugeuza mapori na misitu yetu kuwa Misitu ya Umma; na badala yake kuwekeza katika kutusaidia kutangaza na kusimamia hii kama Misitu ya Jamii Iliyolindwa kwenye ardhi zetu za kijamii;
  3. Kujibu kwa moyo wa ugatuzi na haki kwa maombi ya kurejesha Misitu ya Kaunti na Hifadhi za Wanyamapori kwa jamii za kimila zilizochukuliwa;
  4. Tambua kwamba mikakati ya zamani ya kutoa haki za upatikanaji, matumizi na manufaa haina maana kwa muda mrefu kama misitu yetu haitambuliwi kuwa yetu; na
  5. Tudumishe utawala wa sheria.”

TAZAMA: “Jamii za Kenya zinaripoti kufukuzwa haramu wakati wa COVID-19,” mkutano wa waandishi wa habari ulioandaliwa na Jumuiya ya Ardhi Sasa mnamo tarehe 23 Julai 2020.

Kwa habari zaidi, rejelea matangazo ya habari za kitaifa, kikanda na kimataifa kama vile:

Habari zilizosasishwa zitaongezwa hapa kadiri maelezo zaidi yatakavyopatikana.

Picha iliyoangaziwa: Wawakilishi wa Sengwer wakitoka nje ya mkutano wa mazungumzo mapema Julai 2020 baada ya kujaribu kutishwa na Kamishna wa Kaunti na mwakilishi wa Mpango wa Maendeleo wa Umoja wa Mataifa. © kupitia Mpango wa Watu wa Misitu.

Tafsiri ya Kiswahili: Kipkirui Gilbert Ngetich na Milka Chepkorir.

Updates & Resources

23 July 2020

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