Varsity don asks state to get riparian land evictees new homes

A university lecturer has asked the government not to forcefully evict people who occupied and were living along riparian lands.

St Paul’s University deputy vice chancellor in charge of academic affairs Prof Diphus Chemorion instead asked the government to help some of them get homes.

He said most of the people living in riparian areas do not have other homes.

"They did not have a choice but to settle at a place where no one can ask them," he said.

Prof Chemorion said it was important to first establish how and why they came and settled in those areas.

Speaking on Friday at the university's Limuru campus, Chemorion said the move to remove those people needs to be conducted with a lot of care.

“Some Kenyans have built houses in the riparian lands. It is important to know why they did that. Some did not have a choice," he said.

“Even as we speak about removing them, yes we support the government and the environmentalists views, but we need consider them because of the rights.

“Let us also put their rights into consideration, why they were there and maybe the region they can be relocated to,” he added.

However, Simon Wanjiru, an environmentalist, supported the evictions  saying some of those who settled along riparian lands acquired them illegally and must therefore be reclaimed.

Wanjiru, a member of Lari Young Environment Volunteers, said they support the government to enlighten the public about environment conservation.

"Those who grabbed lands along the riperian lands will have to move. The government wants those wetlands to be conserved so as to address water issues in our country," he said.  

Chemorion was accompanied by vice chancellor Prof James Kombo for a tree planting exercise around the university and neighbouring primary and secondary schools.

He revealed that they were in the process of reaching out to other institutions of higher learning so that they can partner to plant trees at their institutions and public forests.

Chemorion spoke two days after Environment CS Soipan Tuya reiterated government diective that all people living on riparian lands must vacate.

Speaking in Meru where she celebrated the World Environment Day, Tuya said the government was in the process of reclaiming degraded and encroached lands.

“Anyone who is on an illegal space, where it is a riparian area, a protected area, please move away,” she said.

She noted that the government was also keen on protecting forests, wetlands, swamps and even the dry lands.

Kombo noted that their institution was partnering with local institutions to plant more trees as the government rushes to achieve President William Ruto’s directive of planting 15 billion tree by 2032.