The Ogiek are indigenous hunter-gatherer community inhabiting parts of the Mau Forest in Kenya.  Just like many other forest dwelling Indigenous Peoples, they have been displaced in waves of evictions over the decades, in the name of forest conservation which has not been justifiable.

The community has sought justice for years through the legal system both at local, national and regional levels.  Ogiek legal cases in the Kenyan courts languished for decades without resolution, and even last year (2023) the fight escalated as the Kenyan government lifted restrictions on land transactions in the Mau Forest without the Ogiek’s free, prior and informed Consent.  In November, last year, the Ogiek community in Sasimwani were evicted rendering 700 families homeless while other areas received eviction threats.

With Braid Fund support, the Ogiek Peoples Development Program (OPDP) organised and advocated against the forced evictions. OPDP organized consultative meetings with Ogiek leaders, who carried out advocacy by engaging different media stations and conducting visits to different relevant government offices.

Email: opdp@ogiekpeoples.org
Phone: +254 742602044
Instagram, FB, YouTube: Ogiek Peoples' Development Program - OPDP
Website: www.ogiekpeoples.org
Twitter: @Ogiekpeoples

‍