20100405
ALLAFRICA

Nairobi — Survey in the Maasai Mau block of the Mau Forest is scheduled to end on Friday.

And settlers are complaining that the new boundaries have reduced the sizes of their farms.

The demarcation will officially kick off the third phase of evictions to restore the country's largest water tower.

The settlers have, however, vowed not to budge.

Since the restoration of the forest started last year, 38 title deeds have been surrendered voluntarily.

The chairman of the interim coordinating secretariat on Mau restoration, Mr Hassan Noor Hassan , urged more settlers to surrender their titles.

He said evictions would begin in Maasai Mau and South Eastern Mau as soon as the survey was concluded.

"The data will be analysed and after that, we will start the evictions. Those who deserve compensation will be paid," he said at a meeting with Ogiek elders in Nakuru.

He was, however, quick to add that the evictions would take a year as they affected people with title deeds.

On the fate of more than 1,600 families in camps after their eviction from South Western Mau, Mr Hassan said they were not his secretariat's responsibility.

He said the Mau taskforce's recommendations stipulated that they could not be compensated as they did not have documents to back their claims.

On Monday, the Maasai Mau settlers, led by retired senior chief Christopher Bore, said Mr Hassan's meeting was not representative as the affected people were not invited.

Mr Bore said the people affected "could reach 10,000 and not the number given by the secretariat."

The settlers reiterated their opposition to the exercise.