Residents of Madogo, Bangali Sub-County in Tana River and their local leaders are calling on the government to de-gazette the area from the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to enable investors and landowners to develop the town.

The residents accuse KFS officers of demanding a lot of money from citizens who want to build their houses in Madogo as rent money for building in a KFS gazetted area.

The leaders further allege KFS in the area frustrates their efforts to get rid of the Mathenge trees (prosopis juliflora) through charcoal burning and cutting of firewood.

The gazettement of the land was done in December 16, 2012, by the then minister for Forestry and Wildlife Noah Wekesa and was known as Bangali Forest.

The leaders claim that Madogo has missed on many development projects from both the county and national government as KFS claim land ownership.

Speaking during a public forum in Madogo, Bura MP Yakub Adow called on the KFS to expedite the process of de-gazetting the area and pushing the boundary away from Madogo town. 

“The gazettement of these areas in Tana River County was made in 2013 or later. Our people have been living here since the 1950s. We want the KFS to stop harassing our people who want to raise houses here,” Adow said.

Garsen MP Ali Wario said it is regrettable that most of the lands in Tana River are gazetted for government or state agencies leaving the citizens with no land to build their homes or keep their livestock.

“We are not opposing the protection of forests but it cannot be that our town is inside a forest. We are asking that we push the boundary outside Madogo so that our people get an opportunity to develop this area,” Wario said. 

“We have forest issues here in Madogo, Hirimani, Wayu and Kokane areas. Land in Tana River County is either a game park or a forest and we want the areas where our people live or graze to be de-gazetted from forests so that they live dignified lives,” he added.

KFS’ Chief Conservator Alexander Lemarkoko said that, after hearing the issues raised, he would write a report to the cabinet secretary who has the constitutional powers to de-gazette public land.

“I have worked with many communities in the country on the issues of forests. Most of the time, some communities lie because they want to grab government land through lies. They invade the forests and start farming or grazing and other illegal activities like poaching, they are louder than you, who are speaking truth to issues affecting you,” Lemarkoko said.

“We have listened to what the citizens and their leaders have said and it is the report we have as KFS. Mine is to listen to you and give a report to the relevant office on de-gazettement of public land because I don’t want to lie to you. The law of Forest Conservation and Management Act, 2016 give the cabinet secretary the powers to change boundaries,” he added.

At the same time, Lemarkoko directed his officers in the area to stop harassing developers or residents when building their houses in Madogo as the higher office deliberates on the solutions.

He also directed the KFS to allow the residents to use charcoal and firewood from the mathenge trees, as plans are put underway to establish a technical team to create guidelines for issuing permits for the same.

“The investors or the people who have constructed their houses in Madogo should no longer be bothered to pay ‘rent’ to KFS because we are working on the issues at the higher office in Nairobi. Do not disturb them or ask them to pay rent,” he said.

“I have also ordered the arrests of citizens here for ferrying charcoal or firewood and I will send a technical team here to find a way to facilitate citizens here to get permits to carry firewood or use the mathenge trees for charcoal burning,” he added.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Erick Kyalo