More screams from families than the expulsion of the Mau Forest continues :: Kenya

Richard Esongori, 36, of Olmekenyu The village of South Narok left his house in Kisii in 1994 for Mau where he settled on a parcel of land of eight acres and founded a family.

Esongori, a father of five, claims that he bought the land from a certain David Sulunye for a cost of 130,000 shillings to the acre, but no documents were given to him to prove his property.

ALSO READ:

The ODM deputies slam Murkomen on the insult of Raila

Sulunye was reportedly the president of the Ogiek who lived then in the forest.

Esongori did not know that things would turn against him years later and that with his children they would sleep in the cold.

Now Esongori, his wife Purity and their children spent three days in the bush after their house was demolished during forced eviction in the Olmekenyu region.

Still Missing

Know if the news is factual and truthful. Text & # 39; NEWS & # 39; at 22840 and always receive verified news.

They say that all their housewares were destroyed by a group of ruthless policemen. But all of this is less disturbing now, as two of their children are still missing.

Esongori can not hold back her tears by explaining the misery they've been going through since the evictions began earlier this month. "We slept here in the cold, with my wife and children.We have no other place to go and after the officers demolished our house, we chose to hide in the bush with the few things we have left, "he says.

The family says that they had been warned not to be seen near their home.

"They came here last Thursday and found us again here and warned that they would come back for us," said Purity.

ALSO READ:

Ruto is remembered for keeping the water tower of Mau

The Esongori family is one of those who were affected by the demolition of hundreds of homes in the area. The roofs are open, exposing people to cold and rain.

Families were separated and children remained stranded, not knowing where their parents were.

Grace Rono has four children with her, but she does not know who their parents are. She says that she has been with the kids for a week and tried to locate their parents to no avail.

"When the eviction began, people were beaten and families separated, and I stayed with them because they do not know where their parents are," says Rono.

Eileen Cherop and Miriam Chepkurui are sisters in Standard One at Kirobon Elementary School. When asked where their parents were, none of them could say it.

Chepkurui starts crying as soon as we start asking questions about the whereabouts of their parents.

The same fate faces brothers Emmanuel Kipsang and Josphat Kipngeno. Kipsang, a Standard One student, still wears his uniform.

ALSO READ:

Expulsions of Mau renew Raila, ruto rivalry

Cut line

"People cry, some even spend their nights by the road, families were separated during the eviction because we were told that we had crossed the line," says Rono.

Tabsabei Bii says that he left his home in Chepalungu in Bomet County to attend a parent's funeral, only to return and meet his demolished home. His barn and goat barn were empty.

Bii says that her three sons have disappeared but she believes that they are somewhere with the animals.

"What greeted me was a group of dogs feasting on one of the goats, I am confused because I do not know where my children and my cattle are. wrong because I'm walking around trying to find them, "she says.

Bii says that she has been living on the earth for over 30 years.

Benard Simotwo says that he was hit by a metal rod on his left hand by a policeman who asked him to demolish his own home. He refused and the officers came down on him before he ran away.

"I was asked to demolish the house by myself and I refused, I did not know I was expecting trouble," Simotwo says.

He says that there is a lot of brutality and that agents use force and intimidation to expel people.

ALSO READ:

More families to expel Mau

Education in the area was paralyzed as 15 primary schools were closed, shops were also demolished, leaving the locals without any place to buy food.

Richard Cheruiyot, a member of the Olapa Elementary School Committee with a population of 340 students, says it's sad that their children have to stay at home while d & # 39; others are studying.

Schools are the only permanent structures in the region and their construction would have been financed by the government.

Cheruiyot says it's ironic that the same government expelling them has provided more than 14 million shillings to build schools.

Mwai Muraguri, curator of the Narok KFS County Ecosystem, however, rejected claims that there was an ongoing operation.

He said that no one had been ordered to demolish or burn houses.

"The operations ceased on July 13 after the expiry of the 10 days.If anyone received the order to burn houses, the case will be subject to an investigation and measures will be taken, "said Muraguri.

[email protected]

ALSO READ:

Government gets more land after Mau evictions