Members of the Ogiek community have elected members to the Community Land Management Committee to formally begin the process of registering their lands.
The community is in the process of registering over 80,000 acres of ancestral land.
The government has already initiated survey works to define the boundaries of the 80,000 acres at Chepkitale in the Mt Elgon region.
The election of the committee means the survey can now begin.
Mt Elgon assistant county commissioner Felix Engusi supervised the election of 15 members to the Community Land Management Committee (CLMC), which will work with surveyors and government officials to ensure the exercise is completed smoothly.
The committee will play a central role in preparing the community register and overseeing the survey and demarcation process that will pave the way for beneficiary families to be settled.
During the elections, each category within the community was given an opportunity to elect representatives. Five women were elected to represent gender interests.
Engusi praised the peaceful and orderly elections and urged the community to support the committee throughout the process.
"What you have demonstrated in the elections reflects the struggle to own the land. Let us support this committee to accomplish the mission of securing a title deed for the community land," he said.
He challenged committee members to exercise honesty and tolerance while carrying out their responsibilities, saying the community has endured years of hardship in its pursuit of ancestral land rights.
"The committee members will be gazetted and, to achieve the goals, they need to exercise honesty in their work," he said.
Engusi said the survey would be expedited to ensure the land is registered as quickly as possible.
He also urged the community to protect wildlife by safeguarding animal migration corridors.
"To tame human-wildlife conflict, there is need for the community to respect the corridors used by wild animals," he said.
The administrator called on residents to embrace proper land management and environmental conservation to minimise soil erosion in the hilly terrain.
"The terrain is hilly. The community needs to ensure proper land use and prioritise environmental conservation to check soil erosion," he said.
John Simurai of the Ogiek People Development Programme (OPDP) said the organisation is supporting six indigenous communities across the country to secure legal ownership of their ancestral land.
"Currently we are supporting at least six communities, namely the Ogiek in Mau, the Yaaku in Laikipia, the Ogiek in Chepkitale, Mt Elgon, the Sengwer in Trans Nzoia, the Sengwer in Marakwet and the Awer in Lamu, to acquire legal documents for the ancestral land they occupy," Simurai said.
Peter Kitelo, the executive officer of the Chepkitale Indigenous People Development Project, said the formation of the CLMC marks a significant milestone in the registration of the Ogiek community land.
"We have confidence in the team since some of them understand the history of the community's land boundaries," he said.
Community elders led by Johnson Takur also welcomed the progress towards securing legal ownership of the ancestral land.
They pledged their support for the committee to ensure the survey and registration process succeeds. They also thanked the government for its commitment to completing the exercise and helping settle members of the Ogiek community.
