The goverment’ move to ban maize planting activities in Nessuit, Ndoswa and Marioshoni in Eastern Mau has elicited mixed reactions among locals.
Members of the Ogiek community living in the said areas have raised concerns over the move.
Addressing media in Nakuru on Thursday,the locals under the Ogiek community council of elders said the move is a threat to their rights to food security.
Led by John Sironga,they called on the goverment to log the ban as it means no good for the livelihoods.
The locals have differed with the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government that the move is aimed at securing the area and preventing reportedly rampant ethnic attacks.
Sironga said the move is only aimed at barring them from exercising their rights to access food.
They say instead of the ban,the goverment should use the security personnel in the area to wipe out criminal activities.
“We are in shock over a ban on the production of a crop.Our appeal to the goverment to come to our rescue and allow us to grow maize as we rely on the same for our livelihoods” said Sironga.
Sentiments echoed by Sarah Osas who wondered why the goverment took such a move.
She said it was wrong to bar locals from planting in the name of insecurity.
According to Ms Osas,there are many security personnel who can ensure security even in the Maize plantations.
“Our cry as mothers who depend on maize farming is that the government can lift the ban to avert our suffering” she said.
Government through a public notice issued by the Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya, said the ban in Nessuit, Ndoswa and Marioshoni in Eastern Mau was a preventative measure to curb recurrent ethnic clashes.