The Endorois Community was evicted from their lands around Lake Bogoria in 1973 to pave way for a protected area. This was after several years of court cases.
In 2010, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights made a landmark ruling (Endorois Community v. Kenya) with the following recommendations:
- Ensure that the Endorois community have unrestricted access to Lake Bogoria as well as the surrounding sites for cultural and religious rites as well as grazing their livestock;
- Restitute Endorois ancestral land;
- Effectively implement the recommendations by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights;
- Pay royalties to the Endorois Community from the economic activities taking place on their land;
- Grant registration to the Endorois Welfare Committee;
- Pay adequate compensation to the Endorois Community for the losses incurred;
It is unfortunate that a decade after the landmark ruling of Endorois Community v. Kenya, adequate action has not been taken by the government of Kenya in regards to the above recommendations.
In fact, the only recommendation that has been implementation is the registration of the Endorois Welfare Committee. More needs to be done.
In 2013, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights convened a workshop to discuss with government the implementation of Endorois Community V. Kenya decision. The government failed to turn up for the workshop.
The ACHPR pointed out that “the absence of government officials from such deliberations was a serious cause of concern for the Endorois Community and the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights.”
