𝐎𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐤 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝟖𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎-𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬

Members of the Ogiek community in Chepkitale, Mt Elgon, have elected a 15-member Community Land Management Committee (CLMC), marking a major step towards the registration of more than 80,000 acres of ancestral land.The government has already begun preparations to survey the land, with the newly elected committee expected to work alongside surveyors and government officials to oversee the demarcation process and prepare the community register ahead of land registration.

Speaking after supervising the elections, Mt Elgon Assistant County Commissioner Felix Engusi said the committee will be gazetted and urged members to carry out their duties with honesty and integrity.He praised the community for conducting peaceful elections and called on residents to support the committee as it works towards securing a communal title deed. Engusi also urged the community to protect wildlife migration corridors and embrace sustainable land management to reduce soil erosion in the hilly region.The elections ensured representation across different groups within the community, including five women elected to champion gender interests.

John Simurai of the Ogiek People Development Programme (OPDP) said the organisation is supporting six indigenous communities across Kenya, including the Ogiek of Chepkitale, to secure legal ownership of their ancestral land.

Chepkitale Indigenous People Development Project Executive Officer Peter Kitelo described the formation of the committee as a key milestone, expressing confidence that its members will guide the survey process using their knowledge of the community’s historical land boundaries.Community elders also welcomed the move, pledging to support the survey and registration exercise while thanking the government for advancing the long-awaited process of securing the Ogiek community’s ancestral land rights.

By Emmanuel Kirui