Probe on bogus Mau IDPs brings out the complexity of relocation process

Regina Chepkemoi ponders what next outside her makeshift hut at Sigotik in Mau, Nakuru County. She is among hundreds of IDPs evicted from Mau Forest in 2012 who have not received the Sh200,000 compensation. [PHOTO: KIPSANG JOSEPH/STANDARD]

NAKURU: A fresh controversy is dogging a government programme to resettle evictees of the Mau Forest, many  who have been languishing in camps for several years. 

Amid claims that the names of some senior police officers had been irregularly inserted in the list of beneficiaries, it has emerged that several of those already compensated cannot access their money at a commercial bank in Njoro.

Under the recent round of resettlements launched by Deputy President William Ruto, the 1,077  evictees begun receiving Sh200,000 each in compensation early this month. The bank first gave the beneficiaries Sh10,000 to help them relocate from the camps before handing them the outstanding amount. However, 21 families have not received the compensation; payment was stopped after Njoro Deputy County Commissioner Mohamed Hassan Noor wrote to the government urging a review after it emerged that some security officers in the county had been irregularly listed as beneficiaries.

The evictees have been left without homes as the government  had demolished temporary structures in Kapkembu, Teret and Sigotik camps two weeks ago.

Paul Kimutai, a father of six, says he cannot access the full amount he was allocated despite his account reflecting a balance of Sh188,000 deposited by the government. “There is no clear reason to why I have not received the money,” said Kimutai in regard to his partially frozen bank account.

“I got Sh10,000 from the bank which I used to relocate from the camp but when tried to withdraw the balance to pay for the parcel of land I had hoped to purchase, I could not conduct any transaction.”

Another evictee Eric Kipkoech says there has been no clear communication from the government about when he will receive the money. 

“My joy of  finding a place to settle  down  was short-lived. There is no clear communication about when I will receive the money,” say Kipkoech.

Noor says he stopped the transfer of funds to accounts of 21 IDPs because they were not in the original list that was submitted to the Ministry of Devolution.

The  Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Ministry of Devolution, local administration and various IDP committees are conducting investigations to establish how the 21 were listed for compensation.

“My office wrote to the Ministry of Devolution to stop transactions from the accounts of 21 beneficiaries whose names were not in the original profiling list,” Mr Noor told The Standard on Saturday.

South Rift EACC Deputy Director Gilbert Lukhoba confirmed that investigations were ongoing “after receiving complaints from some beneficiaries”.

Among those whose accounts were blocked include four Administration Police  officers who it is alleged inserted   their names in the list of beneficiaries before it was submitted to Ministry of Devolution for verification and profiling.

According to a source,  the officers do not come from Sigotik, Kapkembu and Teret where the evictions were carried out in 2012.

He said the officers listed  for compensation include a deputy commandant, a sergeant, a corporal and two drivers from the Administration Police.

“Various IDP committees, local administrators and national government are conducting investigations by going through profiling, verification and vetting to find if the officers were listed as beneficiaries,” said Noor.

But the chairman of the  Mau East evictees, Mr Benjamin Lomongin, dismisses the allegations. “The officers were victims of eviction. They were not shortlisted as officers but as evictees. Two of them have title deeds and two others have allotment letters,” he claimed.

Lomongin says those whose accounts have been frozen   have nowhere to go because their temporary homes were demolished by the government.

  “Shortlisting, vetting and profiling was conducted successfully and it is not clear why the government should  hold money for victims who continue to suffer without a home.”

However, some of those evicted   have received their dues and have settled at Kapsita, Sigotik and Elburgon. One of them is already farming.

“I am very grateful for the compensation, because I can now farm,"   says Richard Turgut from the Kenya area in Kapsita.

Early last month, Deputy President William Ruto said the government would spend Sh1.1billion to resettle about 5,378 internally displaced families as part of the healing and integration process.

Speaking at Teret IDP camp in Njoro, the DP said the government was determined to ensure that those who had  been evicted had new homes, and explained that  Sh2 billion had been set aside for the resettlement of  the IDPs who have been living in tents for close to a decade.

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