It is reprieve for Ogiek Community after Environment and Lands Court in Nakuru on Tuesday issued conservatory orders barring the ongoing boundary demarcation and titling process in Mau East.
The ruling was issued by Justice John Mutungi who cited that the process is in violation of the Landmark ruling by the African Court on Human Rights in Arusha,Tanzania.
It will be recalled that on May 27, 2017 the Arusha based court made a ruling in favour of the Ogiek Community to go back to their ancestral land in the Mau Forest.
However, the Government has continued to demarcate land in the area with aim to issue title deeds to each 5 acres.
The Ogiek Community on the other hand opposing the move and demanding that they be issued a communal title deed as per the Arusha ruling.
This even as on September 21, 2020 a Multi-agency team was formed by the National government to establish the real boundaries in the Mau Forest but the team had no mandate to issue title deeds.
President Uhuru Kenyatta was expected on Friday last week to issue title deeds to the residents in that area but this did not take place.
And the conservatory orders issued by Environment and Lands Court in Nakuru on Tuesday is a reprieve to the Ogiek Community who had moved to court challenging the process.
The orders remain in place until February 1, when the matter shall come up for mention.