NO MAN’S FOREST

The indigenous Sengwer people have been hunters and gatherers in Embobut Forest Cherengani Hills since the 60s; they consider it their ancestral land. The Kenya Forest Service has, in the past, burnt their homes in forceful evictions. Large scale violence erupted in 2017, when an EU funded Water Towers Project saw mass opposition from the locals; many Sengwer were killed in these uprisings.

This story delves into existing land rights of the Sengwer, exposes possible land grabbing schemes and examines the challenges of inclusion and exclusion when top down development schemes collide with indigenous opposition.

Photo Credits: Amenya Omwoyo and Maurice Murage