Administrator OPDP - OPDP

May 23, 2020 - In News By Administrator OPDP 0

Join us in commemorating 3rd anniversary of the Ogiek Land mark win

The Ogiek, an indigenous community in Kenya, found within the Mau Forest complex and Chepkitale forest in Mt Elgon are yet to receive their justice despite the winning Land Mark ruling in African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACtHPR) on 26th May 2017 against the Kenyan Government. It is almost exactly three years down the line, and […]

Coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the world! By early May 2020, over 3.5 million people infected across the globe over a two hundred thousand people have succumbed to the same. On Friday 13th March 2020, the first Coronavirus case was recorded in Kenya, and since then, over 400 people have been infected, and the country reporting Covid-19 related 24 fatalities and 167 recoveries. The government of Kenya has been working tirelessly to ensure the virus does not spread further by providing a number of directives to safeguard its citizens from the deadly Coronavirus. The Ogiek, a hunter-gatherer indigenous community, living around the Mau forest, may not have a mechanism to cope with the pandemic and are likely to be severely affected due to the remote nature of existence. The community has limited access to government information (which is relayed mostly via radios and television, which most don't have), and poor access to government health facilities. Additionally, a significant percentage of Ogiek community members live below the poverty line and thus struggling to get necessities such, sanitizers, soaps, and facemask. Providing food for their families is also a challenge to the community due to this tough economic time caused by the coronavirus pandemic. If the virus reaches the community, it will easily spread aided the mentioned challenges above. This, therefore, can be a great disaster to such a minority community, making less than one percent of the total population as per the Kenya Population and Housing Census(KPHC) 2019. A significant number of Ogiek community members are increasingly becoming aware of the presence of COVID-19 in the Country. However, the knowledge of the spread of virus/disease is still very low. Local and national radio stations and social media platforms are playing significant roles by relaying relevant information on Coronavirus. With no case of infection reported among the Ogiek, community leaders are also at the forefront supporting government efforts to curb the spread of the disease, ensuring that the community understands the seriousness of the disease and are observing social distancing and wearing of face masks. The county government of Nakuru is also at the forefront in fighting this pandemic, having donated tanks, soap, sanitizers and face masks and foodstuffs to the local communities and the vulnerable members of the community comprising of elderly, and families in informal settlements. However, it has not reached members of the Ogiek community. Given the continued rise of Covid-19 cases and currently involving local transmission, there is the need to create more awareness at the community level as well as supporting the most vulnerable with foodstuffs and necessities to cushion them during the Covid-19 pandemic period. Click here for more updates on coronavirus pandemic.

May 14, 2020 - In News By Administrator OPDP 0

Coronavirus pandemic and the Ogiek community

Coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the world! By early May 2020, over 3.5 million people infected across the globe over a two hundred thousand people have succumbed to the same. On Friday 13th March 2020, the first Coronavirus case was recorded in Kenya, and since then, over 400 people have been infected, and […]

March 3, 2020 - In News By Administrator OPDP 0

A new dawn for the Ogiek language

“When a language disappears, community’s identity and culture are lost” this was the message arched to during the Ogiek folktale contest award ceremony which was in line with the celebration of International Mother Language Day.Language is the most powerful tool that keeps people connected to their culture and identity.This year’s International Mother Language Day theme […]

March 2, 2020 - In News By Administrator OPDP 0

Ogiek celebrate 4th Annual Ogiek Cultural Day

Ogiek celebrated 4th Annual Ogiek Cultural Day on August 23,2019 with calls to the government to safeguard their human rights as a bridge to preventing extinction of their language and culture. As an indigenous community faced with land tenure insecurities over their ancestral land in Mau, existence of Ogiek language, the community’s values, traditions and […]

June 28, 2019 - In News By Administrator OPDP 0

Land Justice:Study shows non-implementation of court decisions exposes MIPs to further land dispossession

A study conducted by OPDP and released in February shows MIPs in Nakuru County still experience diverse violations related to their land rights despite provisions of Constitution of Kenya (2010) protecting their rights to property and land. Making the situation worse is the fact that most MIPs are not financially endowed thus unable to seek […]

June 26, 2019 - In News By Administrator OPDP 0

Folktale Contest

Can you write in Ogiek? Can you tell Ogiek’s socio-cultural connection with nature? Well,if you can,we are looking for you.Submit a 500-1,000 words folktale before July 31,2019 and win a cash prize. Remember it MUST be written in Ogiek language.Click here for further details.

June 12, 2019 - In News By Administrator OPDP 0

Two years later,Ogiek yet to settle in their homeland

May 26,2017 reminds Ogiek of their historic recognition as indigenous peoples(IPs) with distinct culture and part of the Kenyan population by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights-sitting in Arusha, Tanzania; while ruling on a land rights case filed against the Kenyan government. And Sunday, marked exactly two years since the Court ruled in […]