Job Weru
Their plight caught the eyes of Kenyans when they reached Naivasha town, after trekking for 70 kilometres enroute to a ‘promised land’ in Laikipia.
The unseemly sight of children as young as one-year-old walking in muddy paths with luggage perched on their backs touched many hearts. Some of the women and children ended up in hospitals at the end of the long journey.
Like the Biblical Israelites, the IDPs carried all their earthly belongings that included a few clothing and utensils. Women and children converge at a central feeding point in their new settlement. Children form half of the population of 347 IDPs [PHOTOS: JOB WERU/STANDARD]
The 347 IDPs had given up their former life at Kirathimo camp in Limuru and were optimistic that a 40 acre piece of land donated to them by a businesswoman, Mrs Salome Lenana, would cap their two years of tribulations.
Heavy rains
They braved heavy rains and walked to Naivasha where well wishers accommodated them and later hired lorries to ferry them to Wamura village in Laikipia East District.
They named their new home Wiyumiririe (which means to persevere), maybe expecting hardship ahead.
And the place has yielded according to expectation. Many woes have followed them into what should have been their ‘Promised Land’, dampening their spirits and making many wish they had been left alone to live in the ‘desert’.
A non-rhythmic cry of children milling around a central point where the former IDPs cook and take their meals, welcomed journalists who were accompanied by Kieni MP Mr Nemesyus Warugongo to the settlement on Sunday.
It was lunch hour and women and children queued for their ration of white rice and githeri.
Aging tents donated by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) were draped with black polythene papers to prevent leaking.
The tents are not enough to go around and many families share tents with about 20 adults and children sleeping in one.
"Over-crowding is the main problem here. Women share tents with children, but we have a problem since the tents have worn out and are leaking when it rains," she said.
Main road
The land is located about 18 kilometres from the main Nyahururu-Nyeri road. The IDPs cover the distance on foot when they want to access public transport. There are no nearby social amenities like schools and hospitals.
Lucy Wanjiku, a Standard four pupil at Wamura Primary School said she does a round trip of 14 kilometres to reach the nearest primary school.
"I leave home at 5.30am and arrive in school at around 8.30am," she said. It is takes longer when it rains," she said.
On arrival from Limuru five pregnant women went into labour and were taken to Nyeri Provincial General Hospital by a vehicle donated by Water and Irrigation Assistant Minister and area MP Mwangi Kiunjuri.
Women and children
Yesterday, scores of women and children complained of illnesses, most of them suffering from colds and throat infections.
The nearest major hospital is in Nyeri town, over 60 kilometres away.
Mr Martin Ngugi, the IDP’s spokesman said they had started contracting serious diseases while it was hard for them to seek medical attention.
"We crowd in a nearby church where most of us we sleep, we walk for 18 kilometres to the nearest shopping centre often through the rain, life is very hard here," he said.
Veronica Wambui, 5, and Grace Wambui, 11, had wounds on their legs, which they said they treated with the aloe vera sap which they gather locally.
The IDPs complained the Government, through the Ministry of Special Programmes had forsaken them.
Mr Joseph Ngare, who was evicted from Narok said he feared the Government might fail to compensate them with money meant for IDPs.
"We are not also able to access medical attention, and we desperately need a mobile clinic," said Ngare.
Since they camped at Kirathimo IDP camp and later moved to Limuru at the height of the post election chaos last year, they became the forgotten IDPs, finally resorting to trekking from their former abode to Laikipia East.
"We do not have tents to shield us from the heavy rains pounding this area and we have not benefited from any compensation money," said Ms Ann Wangari.
She continued, "We have been living on the mercy of fellow Kenyans, and we want the government to understand that we also need the Sh35,000 compensation and two acres of land being given to other IDPs."
Warugongo donated a five-acre piece of land at Matanya area, about 50 kilometres away to the IDPs.
Medical clinics
He called on the Government to organise regular medical clinics at the camp, saying the IDPs condition was getting worse due to abrupt change of climate and the heavy rains pounding the area.
Kiunjuri appealed to leaders and Kenyans to donate land and building materials to the IDPs, saying congestion was the major problem at the site.
Last weekend, the IDPs received beddings, sanitary towels, building materials and cash donations from the Ministry of Special Programmes, Kiunjuri, Minister Charity Ngilu and other well wishers.