Stop forced evictions and the violation of the rights of the Ogiek indigenous peoples of the Mau forest

Gotop Sogoot Council of Elders
alias
Ogiek Council of Elders

 

To:
His Excellency,
Dr. William Samoei Ruto, CGH.
President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-chief of the Defence Forces,
State House
P.O. Box 40530-00100 NAIROBI

 

Cc:
Honorable Soipan Tuya,
Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry

 

Abdi Hassan,
Regional Commissioner for Rift Valley,

 

Mercy Kalondu Wambua, OGW
Chief Executive Officer,
Commission on Administrative Justice.

 

Alex Lemarkoko,
Chief Conservator of Forests,
Kenya Forest Service.

 

Prof. Julius Gordon Tanui, PhD, EBS
Chief Executive Officer
Kenya Water Towers Agency.

 

Dr. Bernard Mogesa PhD, CPM
Chief Executive Officer,
Kenya National Commission on Human Rights

 

Betty Sungura-Nyabuto, MBS
Chief Executive Officer,
National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC)

 

Isaac Masinde
Narok County Commissioner

RE: CEASE EVICTION ORDERS FROM THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND THE IMPENDING VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS MAU OGIEK PEOPLES; UPHOLD THE 2017 AND 2022 JUDGEMENTS OF THE AFRICAN COURT

Your Excellency,

The Ogiek community and allies from Kenya and the international community are deeply concerned about the eviction order issued by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Soipan Tuya. We understand that the directive provides authority to the Regional Commissioner for Rift Valley to remove “trespassers” from the Mau Forest. Although the Ogiek are not trespassers on this land and have in fact been legally recognised as its owners, we are gravely concerned that this directive will lead to the illegal eviction of approximately 1500 indigenous Ogiek (including 400 women and 300 children), particularly those living in Nkareta and Sasimwani areas. Authorities have already started asking Ogiek community members to take their children and their valuables from their homes before the impending eviction. These orders were given on the morning of 26 October 2023.

In May 2017, the African Court on Peoples and Human Rights upheld our rights to our traditional lands in Mau Forest, including Sasimwani and Nkareta. The Court recognised the Ogiek as legal owners of the Mau Forest and found that our rights to property and natural resources under the African Charter, among other issues, have long been violated by the Kenyan Government. ^[1]

Moreover, in June 2022, the Court ordered the Government of Kenya to undertake ‘an exercise of delimitation, demarcation and communal land titling in order to protect the Ogiek peoples’ right to property, which in this case revolves around their occupation, use and enjoyment of the Mau Forest and its various resources.’^[2] The Court required that this exercise should be undertaken in consultation with the Ogiek. The Court's judgment must be applied in the case of the Ogiek lands of Sasimwani and Nkareta. The Court also directed the Government not to repeat any further violations of the Ogiek’s rights.

In an effort to see the Court’s orders implemented and the evictions prevented, our elders and leaders have engaged with the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) in Nairobi. The Ogiek community members from Sasimwani have also appealed to the Narok County Commissioner, Isaac Masinde. But so far, our efforts have not yielded to anything fruitful.

Your Excellency, Kenya has ratified core international human rights instruments, among them the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, all of which impose duties and obligations on Kenya in relation to Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Kenya is internationally recognized as a leading advocate in the fight against climate change in Africa.

We believe the eviction order is linked to the protection of Kenya´s water towers, a conservation initiative for the Mau Forest’s supposed protection. The Kenyan Government has recognised in the past that the presence of the Ogiek in their traditional lands in Mau Forest is not linked to negative impacts in the forest, but mostly due to logging licenses and illegal trespassers. The African Court specifically recognised in its May 2017 judgment that conservation of the Mau Forest does not justify evicting the Ogiek.

Indigenous peoples have long been rights holders recognized by the international community. They are recognized as leaders in conservation and strategic allies in addressing the global environmental and climate change challenges we face. The order to evict the Ogiek is contrary to Kenya's obligations under international human rights law, its compliance with African Court judgments, its commitments on environmental issues, and its advocacy to combat climate change.

We ask Your Excellency to cease the eviction order, thus avoiding human rights violations of the indigenous Ogiek and Mau Forest communities. We urge the opening of a space for dialogue with the Ogiek for the implementation of the 2017 and 2022 judgments of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights.

Respectfully,
John Lobolo Sironga, Chairperson – Ogiek National Council of Elders
Wilson Memusi, Chairperson – Ogiek Council Narok Chapter
Martin Kiptiony Lele, Secretary – Ogiek Council of Elders
Daniel Kobei, Executive Director - Ogiek Peoples Development Program, OPDP
Joan Carling, Executive Director - Indigenous Peoples Rights International, IPRI

Leonidas Iza Salazar, Chairperson, CONAIE, Ecuador

Chandra Singh Kulung, Chairperson, Nepal Kirat Kulung Bhasa Sanskriti Utthan Sangh, Nepal

Kathrin Wessendorf, Executive director, IWGIA, Denmark

Dilip Chakma, National Coordinator, Indigenous Rights Advocacy Centre, India

Michelin Sallata, Chairperson, Barisan Pemuda Adat Nusantara, Indonesia

Nukila Evanty, Executive Director, Inisiasi Masyarakat Adat (IMA), Indonesia

Rukka Sombolinggi, Secretary General, Indigenous Peoples' Alliance of the Archipelago (Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara/AMAN), Indonesia

Pallab Chakma, Executive Director, Kapaeeng Foundation, Bangladesh

Bouba Njobdi Amadou, Executive Director, Lelewal Foundation, Cameroon

Dr. Deborah S. Rogers, President, Initiative for Equality

James Forole Jarso, Founder & Executive Director, Saku Accountability Forum (SAF), Kenya

Edgardo Benítez Maclin, President, Instituto para el Futuro Común Amerindio IFCA, Honduras

Fidèle Mbilizi Mutimanwa, Directeur Pool Est, Ligue Nationale des Associations Autochtones Pygmées du Congo, Congo-Kinshasa

Ingrid García Minda, Directora Ejecutiva, INREDH, Ecuador

Audace Kubwimana, Africa Regional Coordinator, International Land Coalition (ILC), Kenya

Dr. Rosalee Gonzalez, Co-Coordinator, North Región, Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas, USA

Kepa Fernández de Larrinoa, Director, Lera-Ikergunea, Nafarroa

Juana Vera Delgado, Director, Water Justice and Gender

Jackson Shaa, Executive Director, Narasha Community Development Community, Kenya

Diana Villalobos Díaz, Director, Consultoría Técnica Comunitaria, A.C., Mexico

Isela González Díaz, Director, Alianza Sierra Madre, Mexico

Colin Nicholas, Coordinator, Center for Orang Asli Concerns, Malaysia

Gibran Abubakar, Legal Officer, NCIP Basilan, Philippines

John Cunnington, Senior RD Advisor, Development Alternatives, United Kingdom

Patricia Borraz Fernández , ALMACIGA Grupo de Trabajo Intercultural, Spain

Citlalli Hernández Saad, National Coordinator, IPRI México, Mexico

Rehanna Thomas, Policy Officer, Kayonok Council, Guyana

Sonia Hernández, Coordinator, Misioneras de la Inmaculada Concepción, Venezuela

Perla Medina, Director, Somos Viento, Mexico

Gwendolyn Gaongen, Station Manager, Radyo Sagada, Philippines

Meena Kumari Lama, Administrative and Finance Officer, National Indigenous Women's Federation-NIWF, Nepal

Yannick Lokima Ramazani, Avocat près la cour d'appel de la tshopo, Étoiles du sud, République démocratique du Congo

Frances Jenner, Forest Peoples Programme, United Kingdom

Margarita Pineda Rodríguez, Secretary of minutes and agreements, Murilpaz:mujeres referentes indígenas lencas paz, Honduras

Mina Beyan, Program Director, Social Entrepreneurs for Sustainable Development, Liberia

Shanta Ruth Odera, Programme Officer, National Gender and Equality Commission, Kenya

Rigan Chakma, Research Assistant, FGCSS, Germany

Francisco Soares, Staff Member, Azimuth World Foundation, United States of America

Carla Santos, Grants Manager, Azimuth World Foundation, Portugal

Jiten Yumnam, Secretary, Centre for Research and Advocacy Manipur, India

Evangelina Contreras Ceja, Deputy Director, Desaparecidos de la costa y feminicidios de Michoacán, Mexico

Maaike Hendriks, senior program coordinator, Both ENDS, Netherlands

Joseph ITONGWA, Directeur Exécutif National, ANAPAC-RDC, RDC

Diana Mendoza, Iwgia, Colombia

Ivonne Arroyo, Consejero, Contec, Mexico

Ram kumar Tamang, Spokeperson, Struggle Against Marginalization of Nationalities (SAMAN-Nepal), Nepal

Horacio Lagunas Cerda, Secretario, Fideicomiso de Desarrollo Comunitario de Mogótavo, Mexico

James Christopher Desmoulin, Member, Biitigong Nishnaabeg, Canada

Nicole Redvers, Board member, Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation, Canada

Monika Rajput, Local Deligated, Parents for Future, Germanx

Brijlal Chaudhari, President, Global Home for Indigenous Peoples, France

Robie Halip, Right Energy Partnership with Indigenous Peoples (REP), Philippines

Leonor Zalabata, Defensora de Derechos Humanos, CIT Pueblo indígena Arhuaco, Colombia

Datu Edelverios A. Paundog, Rajah Datu, Rajagnate of Sanmalan / Subano Tribe, Philippines

Gasselin Sacha, Secretaire, T'as quel âge ?, France

Alexandra Tomaselli, Senior Researcher, Eurac Research, Italy

Daniella Vanêssa Abrantes Martins, Sócia administradora, Mira Socioambiental, Brasil

Cornelia Flora, Distinguished Professor Emerit, Iowa State University, USA

Coro Jimenénez-Arellano, Coordinadora, Kolonialismo Osteko Ikasketa Zentroa Elkartea, País Vasco

Aminatu Gambo, Program Officer, IWBN, Cameroon

Jean Claude Kalingsnire, Représentant Légal, ADBR, Rwanda

Pirita Näkkäläjärvi, Doctoral Researcher, University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland

Ivette Gonzalez, , Proyecto sobre Organización, Desarrollo, Educación e Investigación (PODER), Mexico

Cecilia Maho, , El Pueblo Indígena Bubi de la Isla de Bioko, Isla Bioko

John Cunnington, DIRECTOR, Development ALTERNATIVES, United Kingdom

Levi Sucre Romero, Director General, Alianza Mesoamericana de Pueblos y Bosques, Mesoamérica

Colin Nicholas, Coordinator, Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC), Malaysia

Bipin Jojo, convenor, Sundargargh Adivasi Manch, India

CIZA Charles, Président et Représentant Légal, Action Batwa Pour Le Développement Intégral et l'Assistance Aux Vulnérables, Burundi

Margarita Pineda Rodríguez, Secretaria de actas y acuerdos, Murilpaz :mujeres referentes indígenas lencas paz, Departamento de la Paz Honduras Centro America

Signe Leth, Senior advisor, IWGIA, Danmark

Meena Kumari Lama, Administrative and Finance Officer, National Indigenous Women's Federation-NIWF, Nepal

Núria Reguart-Segarra, Lecturer, Universitat Jaume I, Spain

Md. Ilias Miah, Chief Executive, Centre for Environment, Human Rights & Development Forum - CEHRDF, Bangladesh

Belkacem Lounes, Président, Congrès Mondial Amazigh, Algérie

Tshepo Nnini Fokane, Acting National Coordinator, Alliance for Rural Democracy, South Africa

Lokima Ramazani Yannick, Avocat près la cour d'appel de la tshopo, Étoiles du sud, République démocratique du Congo

Paul Belisario, Coordinator, International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), Philippines

Akina Singh Suwal, Vice-president, Forum for Indigenous Girls (FIG) Nepal, Nepal

Buddha Tsering Moktan, Director, Struggle Against Marginalization of Nationalities, Nepal

Julie Marion, Donor Relations Manager, IWGIA, Denmark

Dulcy Cotes, Coordinadora zona Ríohacha, Fuerza de Mujeres Wayuú, Colombia

Bernice See, Chair, Board of Trustees, Indigenous Peoples Rights International, Philippines

Kay Kimura, Pirika, JP

Yasso Kanti Bhattachan, Vicechair, National Indigenous Women Forum (NIWF), Nepal

Floralie Dupré, ENS de Lyon, France

Cecilie Guldager Søborg, Iwgia, Denmark

Shawna Farrell, Owner, LotusOak, USA

Natalia Jones Herrero, Advocacy associate, Cultural Survival, Spain

Nataly Allasi Canales, Researcher, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Smriti Rijal, Co-founder, Project Loud, 106

Lene Rønnest, member, IWGIA, Denmark

Mathilde Roza, Professor, Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands

Knud Klarskov Vilby, Danmark

Mary Taylor, IWGIA, Italy

Cathrine Bye, IWGIA, Norway

jenneke arens, occhtc, netherlands

Bhim Rai, Secretary, LAHURNIP, Nepal

Annika Friese, IWGIA, Germany

Laura Nieto Sanabria, Colectivo de Solidaridad en la Acción, México

Joel Ortega Erreguerena, Professor, UNAM, México

Jenny Davies, Internews, England

Wolfgang Kuhlmann, Policy Director, Global Forest Coalition, The Netherlands

Otto R. Wellington, WWF, Liechtenstein

Diana Vinding Bergsoe, International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), Denmark

Sujina Dhonju, Student, Kathmandu School of Law, Nepal

Lisi WahlKleiser, Independent Researcher, Social Medicine, United States

Claudio Figueroa, Integrante Área Acción par la Defensa del Territorio, Instituto Mexicano para el Desarrollo Comunitario, México

Edgardo Benítez Maclin, Presidente, Instituto para el Futuro Común Amerindio IFCA, Honduras

Miriam Pelis Shog-oy, Katinnulong Daguiti Umili iti Amianan, Inc. (KADUAMI), Philippines

Ariong Geoffrey Lokol, Executive Director, Agency for Turkana Development Initiatives-ATUDIS, Kenya

Matiur Rahman, Working President, Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha, the Indigenous Peoples Confederation of Assam, India

Morgane Jaouen, Terra omnius, France

Maireth Sampayo, Comunicadora social, Ipri, Colombia

Sonia Catalina Fracica, Coordinación técnica, IPRI Colombia, Colombia

Arukingumu Torres, Coordinación General, IPRI Colombia, Colombia

Joven Jacolbia, University of the Philippines, Philippines

LJ Queroljico, Rotary Club of Metro Escolta, Philippines

Luis, En contra, Ñamarines por el mundo, Ecuador

Andy Wanning, Administrative Officer, Tribal Link Foundation, USA

Nanki Wampankit, Former CONFENIAE's Territory Leader, Confeniae, Ecuador

Natalia Ramírez Gutiérrez, LatAM Comms, IPRI, Mexico

Cynthia VonHolt-Cheyne, The Grail, USA

Princess Monique Aldaba, Finance Staff, Indigenous Peoples Rights International, Philippines

Lazarus Joseph, South Africa

Josephine Chiname, Zimbabwe

Aaliya Hong, United States

Alice Carey, UK

Zugeith Carine Soleno Arias, Colombia

Daniel Vargas, Mexico

Camille Parguel, Sweden

María Benítez, Mexico

Andreas Bethmann, Germany

Marius, Denmark

Jorge Hernández, México

Daniel Etter, United States

Margareta Nilsson, artist, Sweden

Anne-Marie Tupuola-Plunkett, USA

 

 

 

 

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[1] https://www.african-court.org/cpmt/details-case/0062012

[2] https://www.african-court.org/cpmt/storage/app/uploads/public/62b/44e/f59/62b44ef59e0bc692084052.pdf