The Mau Ogiek conflict with official policy and its implication on Millennium Development Goals

Abstract

For a long time, the Mau Ogiek have agitated for their land rights because of their marginalization in the Mau forest complex. In their quest for a better social order, they have confronted official policy, institutional environment and paradigmatic challenges that have stood in the way of them attaining these rights. By doing this, the Ogiek have appeared to be at conflict with the state over the Mau forest complex. This paper argues that the policy, and governance system as well as the institutional environment that criminalized the Ogiek way of life can be traced to the colonial times. Secondly, the Ogiek from the colonial times have opposed attempts to alienate the Mau forest complex from them. They have expressed their opposition through filing of court cases, organizing protest and marches and from the year 2000, they have agitated that their rights should be recognized in any new constitution. They have adopted self-initiated and directed community development projects aimed at among other things, enabling the community to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This is exemplified by the launching of Ogiek Rural integrated projects and Ogiek Development Culture and Environmental Conservation (ODECECO) that have targeted goals that are co-terminus with MDGs. Such concrete measures for social changes in light of policy, governance and institutional obstacles may impact the community positively. The paper recommends that the government and the Ogiek should work in partnership. Similarly conservation and settlement measures should be sensitive to the needs of the affected communities if broad based community development goals like MDGs have to be achieved.