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{
    "id": 120631,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/120631/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 220,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "fourth and fifth phases were to repossess critical water catchment areas and bio-diversity hot spots where people have been settled and given title deeds. In those phases, restoration activities will also be carried out after proper legal procedures have been followed. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Taskforce Report made the following recommendations:- 1. Approximately 510 hectares that were excised in 2001 and were not parceled should be reclaimed back to the protected forest estate as an immediate measure. 2. All title deeds issued in Likia Extension, which is approximately 1,050 hectares currently unoccupied should be revoked and the area reclaimed back to the protected forest estate. 3. All title deeds that were issued irregularly or not issued in line with the stated purposes of the settlement scheme or in critical water catchment areas and/or biodiversity hot spots should be revoked. 4. Bona fide settlers who were issued with title deeds in critical water catchment areas and biodiversity hot spots should be relocated. 5. All persons involved in the allocation of forest land in an irregular manner and/or against the Government stated purposes of the settlement scheme should be investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law. The Government instruction is that the Report must be implemented in accordance with the laws of the country. Specifically, the fundamental human rights were to be respected at all times in the implementation process. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to make the following Statement in regard to the progress of the implementation of this Report. A 14-day vacation notice was given by my Ministry directing all encroachers to vacate the 19,000 hectares of South-West Mau Forest. At the expiry of that vacation notice, most of the encroachers began to move out of South-West Mau willingly and in compliance with the Government notice. I can now confidently report that about 5,600 encroachers have registered with my Ministry and voluntarily moved out of the forest. At the expiry of the vacation notice, the Government gave the encroachers one week to harvest whatever mature crops that were there. Following that, on 19th November, 2009, the operation to assist the encroachers to vacate the forest was then launched by the Government. I would like to confirm to the Members of this House that during that exercise, no forceful evictions were carried out. All the personnel who were deployed to carry out that exercise acted humanely, by assisting the young and elderly to vacate the forest. I must state that every massive exercise like the one we are doing has instances here and there. The only one we have had so far involves a woman who, unfortunately, died while in the transit camp. It was later found that she had died of natural causes and the matter has been referred to the police. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in reference to the recommendation of the Taskforce Report, which I had stated earlier, it is clear that encroachers were not to be compensated. The reason for that is that they do not hold any right in law to stay in the forest. In fact, the legal provision of the Forest Act, 2005, prohibits squatting or encroaching in the forest and, further, provides for penalties for offenders. It, therefore, implies that the Government will not compensate or resettle persons who illegally encroach on forest land. Let me bring it to the attention of hon. Members that those encroachers contributed significantly"
}