One of Kenya’s most powerful men has just been in Stockholm. Apart from being powerful and famous, Prime Minister Raila Odinga is one of the leaders who has taken a passionate stand to save the Mau forest. Already millions of Kenyans are starving, rivers have dried up and thousands of animals have perished in drought.
Currently the settlers are in a mad rush to squeeze the last penny from the forest before they are evicted or re-located. This has resulted in aggressive felling of trees. The trees are then sold off as logs in a bid to maximize their profit out of the forest before the government takes a stern move. Thus Mau forest is drying with every click of a second.
The Prime minister should not be shuddered by a selfish slice of Rift Valley MPs who are busy antagonizing his efforts to conserve Mau. These politicians shouting loudest own huge chunks of land which they acquired illegally. These are the same guys who sold part of `their’ land to innocent poor farmers. The list which was tabled in Parliament by the Prime Minister revealed that the beneficiaries of Mau forest are rich and politically connected individuals. Why then should they be compensated?
Noble Laureate Prof. Wangari Maathai recently requested the government to consider the plight of the millions of Kenyans at stake but should not be cowed by the few self-seekers who fail to see the importance of conserving Mau forest and see voters instead of destruction.
Mau forest is Kenya’s biggest catchment area. The rivers that flow from it feed savannah of Maasai Mara as well as four other national parks. The famous “Pink Lake” is in danger because all the rivers that feed it have dried up.
The outcome of Mau destruction has been felt far and wide. The Mara river, which is fed from the Mau forest, is having low water which is threatening to dry up any time soon. The recent wild beast migration from Mara to Serengeti was not spectacular as it has been in the past. No hunting by crocodiles as the beasts leisurely walk in and out.
If evictions are implemented immediately, the forest could be re-stored within the desired time frame of three years. Kenyans need to do whatever it takes to ensure that the Mau catchment is preserved.
Steve Shiku
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Trully any concerned Kenyans should see the need to drum up for Maun conservation. It’s sad that everything in kenya nowadays get a political spot. minister Ruto should shut up or jon the trian to save Maun. As part of the goverment,he has been aware of all this plan. Why did it take him too long to realize that they-the gorverment, were serious? Now that Rift valley mps have treatened to ditch Raila over Maun,this clearly tell us,this big-bellyed and ever hungry politicians we vote for are just after our votes. Not our welfare. We need not only to save Maun but any water catchment area which is invaded. Shiku keep up `drumming’
Now this made me smile. Did you hear of `supermarkets’ IDP’S ? This were well to do guys but smoled ear to ear on sighting a lorry full of goodies headed to the IDP’S camps. They would then sneak in right in time to answer to a roll call. There, as easy as that,they got a bag full of maize flour. This was a very easy life for them. Saddly,it was short cut when the government ordered all the camps to be closed down.
I do smell the same rat in this Mau saga.When the government gave stern warning,others read luck and opportunity . insteady of moving farther away from the forest ,they moved closer. Thats why Mau is invaded with newly constructed huts. Funny enough they are among the roadside campers crying accusing the goverment of inhuman treatment. If you look deep under their veil,you realize most of this guys own chunk of land somewhere else and they are in Mau as we talk to play with our mind and our money. And you pity them? I surely dont! let them cry, dry their tears and rush their asses back to where they got them from.
But the poor farmers who were fooled by ever hungry for money likes of the rift valley mps and big-belleyed business persons,should be considered. But then how do you tell a poor farmer with a title deed and a well to do business person with a title deed? There comes the confusion. We will end up creating for weathy to thieves.
After a much hear say of the famous world beest migration,my friend and I saved for a while and hit out to Kenya early September ths year. The country is awesome. And the hospitability was great. Most parts of the country looked dry. Our tax guy told us it hasnt rained for so long. Thousand of people and animals were exposed to great hunger pain and death. The famous maasai mara was no better,mara river,where crocodiles hunt wildbeest and zebras was threatening to vanish. True to the letter,the migration wasnt at all exciting. It was a jump and walk scenario. Something so different from what I had heard and saw on teli. The site and smell of Lake Nakuru was shocking and choking. The lake is no more and birds spread breathlessly all over pushing visitors off due to alwful smell. If Kenyans do not act fast and furious,they will talking in past tense as far as tourists attraction is concerned. Politicing mau eviction is wrong,kenyans politicians need to see further than their bare eyes can stretch,they potray lack of fucus yet they talk of vision 2030. Kenya is such a beutiful country to dry in hands of selfish few .
this MPs should just stop politisizing this Mau Problem.One way or another the eviction must continue because if this people continue cutting down the trees worse will happen compared to what we expirienced ealier in this year.
This Mau thing was designed to fix Raila rather than fix the environment, fortunately Raila is fixing it and fixing his ditractors in the process. Shame on skewed leadership that Kenya has, when are we going to have level headed leaders who can address issues for what they are rather than pursue political agenda?
More than 99% support the PM and disagree with the President’s action. Daily Nation stated on New Year’s Day that Kibaki is a bad polititian but a good economist, and some of us agree. The Mau water tower is a matter of life and death to us Kenyans; it is good politics to attend the tree planting exercise and bad politics to stay away. Congratulations bwana PM for your vision, God is with us so victory is in sight.
Today I speak to those Kenyans who always say our country lacks leaders who take initiative.
Isn’t Prime Minister Raila Odinga taking initiative in the Mau conservation drive? He has gone against the political grain. It would have been easier and politically correct for him to simply pretend the Mau destruction did not exist.
Where are environment NGOs? I bet they are all hiding in fear of being branded political organisations.
Where are our church leaders who always have something to say about our politics? Do we only open our mouths to criticise and not when a good deed needs support?
We must recognise good deeds by our citizens. Not all of us may be as daring as Okiya Omtatah Okoiti, but the least we can do to support such individuals is to let them know we approve and are grateful for their actions.
So as President Kibaki sits in State House pondering whether planting trees in Mau is worth his time, let Kenyans send a message that they will stand behind those who save our nation, regardless of political affiliations.
We will plant trees in Mau today, whether or not politicians will be present.
PATITA TINGOI, Nairobi
Today’s re-afforestation should not be halted. The media is interested in portraying a political football — the picture of a President who is disinterested in the Mau. I laud the PM since he has been ignoring such thinking.
Does it really matter that we see President Kibaki planting trees or would we want to see two or more of our leaders giving us the lead? Please spare us the political perspectives.
Mr PM, please go ahead! Do not back out.
STEPHEN NJENGA, Kianjai
The President’s body language is hampering efforts by the PM to restore the Mau. It’s as through he wants to woo Rift Valley votes for 2012. If Mr Odinga is not seeing this, then he is in for a surprise.
We are back to 2005, but this time, Rift Valley will be on the Banana side.
BENJAMIN MOGERE MASENGE, Ogembo-Gucha
It is emerging that one of our Principals has developed cold feet over today’s tree planting.
Kenyans are watching. They watched, subdued, as Mau was dished out. Today they watch as the ping pong games begin, with the same players. Is it not time that impunity was punished?
It does not matter who gets credit on the tree planting. We heard it loud and clear when the President asked the Prime Minister to follow up on the Mau evictions. What has changed today?
MUTAHI KAHIGA, Nyeri
Conservation of all delicate ecological systems in Kenya is a must. The Mau tree-planting should go on and shame all those who will stay away for their own selfish, sectarian and myopic interests.
There should be no apologies and no excuses. The right thing must be done.
It is, however, a great shame that our dumb politicians will not act patriotically for Kenya. We should name and shame them. Indeed, since it is raining, we can all do our small part for Kenya and plant a tree wherever we live.
DOUGLAS AREGE, Kisii
Shame on the critics of the Mau conservation. Ruto, Uhuru,and the likes, you’re only driven by selfish interest of KKK alliance but if you can not prove to Kenyans that you’re environmentally sound then how on Earth do you expect the same to accord you any leadership? Mau must be saved and be ready for a shock of life. cowardice will be committed.
its de javu kenya style. when prof. wangari was saving the karura in the 90s, kanu’s blue-eyed boys boycotted the exercise as well.they had better meetings to attend. 2 decades later, they want to liberate kenya by promoting landgrabbing! way to go KKK.
this’s hypocrisy to the boot. let kibaki ‘witness’ the swearing in of ‘some’ judges. that doesn’t mean what the parliament and cabinet passed unanimously can be rubbished. raila’s mandate is to kick-start the save the mau campaign. no matter what urgent business junior ministers like sambili and githae are attending today; even if uhuru imagines the’treasury’ has nothing to do with mau; while rutto is ironically going to sympathise with the flood hit mogotio people suffering from the misdeeds of his ‘people’; let us support the p.m in saving our environment. god bless you, mr.p.m.
The president has just returned from the Rio+20 environment summit.The journey must have cost millions to just go and listen to the same message: lets all act to save mother earth. Why cant such monies be used to purchase seedlings and pay volunteers to reafforest our degraded forests! mogambi moinani