Ogiek, Kenya: On Land (conservation, evictions, and collective ownership)

Cosmas Murunga, of the Indigenous Ogiek of Chepkitale in Mount Elgon, and the chairman Council of Elders, speaks in depth of the historical role Indigenous Ogiek communities play in not only the preservation of ecosystems, but their flourishing also. Through collective ownership and guardianship of the land in which they belong to, the Ogiek have retained a balanced relationship of mutual benefit. Despite this, the Ogiek (like many other Indigenous communities and their territories across the globe) have faced relentless violence from governments and corporations attempting to steal and profit from the land under the guise of 'conservation'. Through the sustained attempt of government sanctioned evictions, the burning of Ogiek homes, the physical and emotional violence inflicted on Ogiek bodies and minds, Ogiek communities consistently exist in a precarious state. Though in this suffering and brutality, the strength, organisation and resistance of Ogiek communities and neighbouring communities perseveres.