POLITICIANS ACCUSE GOVERNMENT ON THE MAU ISSUE.

Cabinet Minister William ole Ntimama and two MPs have accused the Government of dragging its feet over the eviction of settlers from the Mau forest.

Ntimama and MPs Nkoidila ole Lankas (Narok South) and Joseph Kiuna (Molo) said the Government should expedite eviction of people from the forest to stop further destruction.

The leaders warned that the patience of people affected by the destruction of the forest was running out.

Ntimama said the settlers should be removed from the forest unconditionally and without any compensation.

" We may not have a forest to talk about if the Government continues dragging its feet," the National Heritage Minister said.

The leaders said they would not relent in their push to have those in the forest evicted.

They were speaking at the weekend during a home coming party for Councillor Reuben ole Kiramba in Entiani in Narok North.

The Minister said the settlers should not be compensated because they had other homes before they moved into the forest.

"They were not born there and should go back to where they came from," he said.

He said the forest should be restored urgently because it was the lifeline for millions of people in the country.

"The Maasai have lost their lives and cattle due to the drought as a result of what is happening in the Mau Forest," he said.

Lankas said eviction of the settlers should not be delayed any further if the forest is to be saved from continuous destruction.