HISTORICAL LAND INJUSTICES AGAINST KALENJIN Read the message and meditate upon it.

When NARC government came to power in 2002, its first project was to diminish Kalenjin socioecomically and politically. We were discriminated against, demoted and fired from civil service and government parastatals, denied scholarships and vital government services, and simply forgotten in all matters regarding development projects. We were stigmatized and ostracized in our own country in a manner comparable only to colonial days. NARC government considered itself a government of national unity (GNU) yet in fact Kalenjin were targeted for persecution and subjugation whose impacts we are yet recovering from. If we were lazy cowards we would by now be in irredeemable economic ruins. Many Kalenjin were snared and fired, and I know a good number who chose to resign to escape shameful dismissal. GNUs hate for Kalenjin was intense and brutal, and nowhere was it displayed in full force than during Mau eviction when police tasked with forcing people out gang raped girls and their mothers before their families! Kalenjin, should we forget these too soon? I want to remind you these lest you have forgotten: 1. When Wazungu came to Kenya they acquired our ancestral land forcefully, and then forced us to work for them. We were rendered IDPs.We became laborers in tea plantations, wheat and corn farms, watchmen and cooks and, cowboys and shamba boys. We had no voice. When the country became independent we were overwhelmed by hope and enthusiasm. We expected to reacquire our ancestral land. We looked forward to better times. 2. When Kenyatta became president he promised that every tribe in the country would manage their our land and domestic affairs uninterrupted by the central government. We danced and wined hoping that he would reverse the injustices that the Whites visited us regarding land ownership. Sadly, we were wrong! Check this: While we celebrated the independence, some key people in the government were working behind the scenes together with the British to re- grab the land. An elaborate scheme was hatched led by the former home guards from Central Kenya to buy land from the British and allocate it to themselves and their henchmen. They consolidated land in central province and displaced their own people into the Rift Valley. For example they transferred part of Rift Valley into Central Province and named it Nyandarua district. This was allocated only to Kikuyu. The Luos were also rewarded for supporting KANU, and 650,000 acres of Nandi Land was transferred to Luo Nyanza. Another 850,000 acres of Nandi and Koony land was hived off and annexed to Western Province to form part of Bungoma. Other thousands of acres were transferred from Kipsigis land to Kisii Nyanza (from Keroka to Chebilat). This was a shock to the Kalenjin community because Kenyatta negated his earlier promise of 1962 that ownership and development of land would remain in the hands of (I) Ogyek, Kipsigis and Nandi The destruction of forests was started during this period. The GEMA community cleared the forests in Narok district between Enengetia-Enabelbel. This was a thick forested area which was part of the larger Mau. Ole Ntimama who was a councilor in Narok at that time tried to oppose the settlement of GEMA in Narok, but the then Rift Valley PC Mr. Mathenge ordered his arrest. The then Dc Narok Mr. Julius Kobia was express orders to eliminate (kill) any Maasai morans who opposed the settlement of GEMA in that area. During the same period, the Nandi wanted to buy land in Tinderet, their ancestral land, but were denied. Mr. Mathenge frustrated them, and were arrested together with their leader, the then MP Hon Seroney. Another bitter example of how the Kalenjin was denied their land right involved the Rhonda Farm in Nakuru. The Kalenjin Enterprise had bought the land, but PC Mathenge engineered its grabbing and was

later subdivided among the GEMA members called Mwarigi. No money was refunded to the Kalenjin enterprises. During this time the Kalenjin negotiated to buy NGATA FARM LTD led by Kibowen Arap Komen who paid Kshs 4million, but they were denied to buy the entire farm by PC Mathenge. He gave part of the land to GEMA people. In 1974 Hon Eric Kibet arap Koras Bomet and Mzee Jonah Arap Cheptoo negotiated to buy MAKUTANO FARM from Mr. PEARCSON (Maji Mazuri), but the DC Baringo Mr. A N N Ndoro ordered the arrest of the two who were locked up at Eldama Ravine. The land was later sold to GEMA people IGURE, hence IGURE FARM. Other areas included a farm in lower Subukia, Olmomoi. After the Kalenjin had bought the land, they moved in only for them to be arrested together with the initiates (TARUSIEK) who were still recovering. They were brought to Nakuru court and ordered to be jailed. Their money was never refunded. As if this was not enough in 1970 Mzee Kenyatta came to Nakuru, Mob area (originally kuresoi land of the kipsigis and Ogiek before British invasion) and distributed 17 former white settler farms to GEMA people who gave their tribal name, thereby erasing its true origin. The 17 farms were namely: 1. Kiambereria 2. Kiambu 3. Ngema 4. Moto 5. Nyakinyua 6. Kererekamia 7. Kamwaura 8. Poron 9. Mushorwe 10. Kapkimani 11. Kathirika 12. Kimkasa 13. Sitoito 14. Tamnyota 15. Mutukanio 16. Matunda 17. Marwa On 10th March 1977, PC Mathenge used the Ngoroko Squad to burn down houses belonging to ogiek and kipsigis in Tinet area. Whoever was arrested was fined ksh. 800. Their cattle was confiscated and sold for kshs 20 per cow and kshs 2 per sheep or goat. Many people were shot and killed. One Mzee (Arap Mosonik, the father of Arap Too) was burned alive in his house (ii) Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia In the 1970s Kenyatta gave out the following farms in Trans Nzoia to GEMA instead of the local people the Kony and Sengwer and the Pokots: 1. Kiambu Farm 2. Monyaka Farm 3. Aruba Farm 4. Makutano 5. Makunga 6. Mucharage 7. Kitwamba In Uasin Gishu farms were too allocated to GEMA instead of to the Nandi. These were:

1. Kiambaa 2. Kimumu 3. Timboroa( the forest was destroyed in the name of shamba system) The Moi Era Mzee Moi followed Kenyatta. Indeed he created the Slogan FUATA NYAYO. He truly followed Kenyattas footsteps and further complicated the Land problem. Just as Kenyatta rewarded his henchmen, so did Moi. He excised part of the forests and allocated it to some GEMA people who were his henchmen including some of his own politically correct Kalenjin. Most of these were done in the name of resettling squatters and the land less. The following Forests were excised off by both Moi and Kenyatta: 1. Mau Forest East. 1. Mwisho wa Lami, 2. Njoro, 3.Mob, 4.Kibunja 2. Mau Forest West. 1. Sururu, 2.Likia, 3.Teret, 4.Nessuit, 5.Ngongongeri, 6.Marishoni, 7. Ndoinet, 8.Saino, 9.Kiptagich Ext, 10.Tinet, 11.Bararget, 12.Kapsitai, 13.Elburgon