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| Ogiek man, Kenya
© Virginia Lulling/Survival |
The Ogiek people have occupied the mountain ridges of Kenya's Mau forest
since time immemorial as hunter-gatherers and collectors of honey. Past
governments have repeatedly tried to drive them out, and the forest has
been invaded by logging companies, tea plantations and farmers. Most
recently, the government of President Moi planned to open up 60,000
hectares of the Mau forest to yet more such developments, dispossessing
the Ogiek of their land.
Although the new National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) government is a year
old, this plan has not been cancelled. At the same time the government
is formulating a new forest policy which aims to protect and restore
the nation's forests by evicting illegal farmers and squatters. However
the Ogiek fear that vested interests will try to use the new policy to
evict them too. They are calling on the government to recognise their
right to their forest territory.
