Maa Pastors Association have voiced their concern over an alleged fresh move by the government to lift the 15-year old caveat on the 360,000-acre Maasai-Mau forest.
Led by their Secretary General Pastor Peter Nakola, the spiritual leaders opposed attempts to allow a certain community to settle in the forest at the expense of other communities.
Pastor Nakola said the move was causing tension among the Maasai community and a security threat to the communities living in the county.
“We as spiritual leaders have the mandate of ensuring the social, moral and spiritual growth of our residents, the move to settle people in the forest land could escalate to tension in this county,” he said.
The pastors who were speaking today in a Narok hotel requested Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery and National Land Commissioner Chairman Mohammed Swazuri to intervene and help in protecting the great water catchment.
“We are perturbed by this move. The government ought to tighten its noose on illegal encroachment on the Mau forest as it is a source of livelihood to millions of people,” the spiritual leader said.
At the same time, another group of elders led by former Narok County Council Chairman Mr. Kelena Ole Nchoe and Francis Ole Nkoitoi, said the Maa community will not allow the excision of the forest which supports livelihoods of millions of people and animals in Kenya and Tanzania.
They termed the intended excision as a threat to environment and peace from the region and threatened to hold demos in the area against this move.
