Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu has called for patience among hundreds of families who were left out of the government’s 2.6 billion shilling compensation programme for Mau Forest evictees.
Ntutu said about 300 affected families, mainly from Melelo Ward, should use established government channels as authorities review complaints over the compensation list.
Speaking in Mara, Narok South on Saturday, during the opening of an ECDE classroom, the governor urged the families to work with local administrators, including chiefs and village elders, to verify information submitted during the compensation process.
“I want to ask our people from Melelo Ward to be patient as their compensation issue is handled by the National government,” Ntutu said.
He called for an investigation into why families in Melelo were left out while beneficiaries in Sogoo and Sagamian received most of the compensation.
Ntutu said errors may have occurred during the preparation and verification of the list, urging affected families to allow authorities to investigate and correct any omissions.
His remarks came a day after Narok County Commissioner Kipkech Lotiatia ordered the families to leave the Mau Forest and present their complaints through established government channels.
The families had returned to the forest and pitched tents after discovering that their names were missing from the list of beneficiaries compensated following their eviction from the water tower.
Lotiatia said about 13,000 families received 200,000 shillings each, while acknowledging that some affected households had not benefited.
He dismissed claims that chiefs altered the list and urged those left out to lodge complaints with the relevant government offices.
“Do not blame the chiefs by claiming they removed your names from the final list. Use the appropriate channels to present your complaints to the relevant offices so that they can be heard and resolved,” Lotiatia said.
He also warned against re-occupying the forest, saying his office would not allow settlement or other activities in prohibited areas.
Lotiatia further cautioned residents against spreading unverified information on social media, saying his office had the original list of evictees earmarked for compensation.
The affected families have called for a fresh verification exercise, saying thousands of households suffered losses during the eviction.
They claimed some eligible families may have been omitted, while others said their personal and property details were recorded incorrectly.
The families want government agencies to jointly verify affected households and assess the property lost before any further payments are made.
They have also called for a transparent process involving affected communities to ensure eligible households are neither excluded nor added without justification.
Meanwhile, Ntutu dismissed claims of ethnic discrimination in Narok Town Ward, saying all residents have a constitutional right to live anywhere in the country.
“I want to tell the people of Narok Town Ward and the entire County that my government has no tribalism. We have led in peace and want to continue with peace,” he said.