Monday, July 22, 2013

Kenya:

Maasai Leaders Want a Share of KenGen's Revenue (Citizen News)

The Maasai community has vowed to block the expansion of geothermal exploration and taken over the disputed 75, 600 acres of the Kedong ranch.

Over 2,000 members of the Maasai community met on their spiritual land in Suswa where they said that the land belongs to their ancestors. Led by their political and religious leaders, they said they are demanding for 5%  of revenue generated by KenGen as the geothermal plant was on their land.

During the emotional prayer ceremony, the community said that for years it had been oppressed by the previous regimes. Narok East Member of Parliament Ken Aramat said the land belongs to the community and nobody had the right to sell it.

KenGen has already embarked on resettling some Maasai’s in Olkaria at the disputed land in Kedong at a cost believed to be worth billions of shillings. The move by the community puts in jeopardy the ongoing resettlement of their fellow community members living in the geothermal rich area of Olkaria.

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