IDPs oppose closing of camps before court decides on land cases

By KARANJA NJOROGE

Nakuru County: Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nakuru have opposed government plans to close down their camps before the controversy surrounding land earmarked for their resettlement is resolved.

The IDPs said ownership of two parcels of land in Njoro and Subukia which were earmarked for the resettlement are the subject of pending court cases.

Ndonga Farm chairman Joseph Kuria said their stay at the farm is uncertain owing to the case in a Nakuru court. Plans by the government to acquire the farm two years ago suffered a setback after relatives of the seller moved to court to challenge the deal.

Kuria said more land in Njoro where IDPs were moved to is also held up by a court case.

The two farms had been acquired by the government to settle over 900 families from the Pipeline IDP Camp. “We are worried about our predicament and the government should ensure our issues are solved before closing down the camps,” Kuria said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta a week ago launched the final leg of the IDP resettlement programme when he issued Sh400,000 cheques to some of the IDPs in Rift Valley. The compensation process has been going on for the last one week, with beneficiaries expected to move out of the 18 camps spread across the country by the end of the week.

Disputed land

“After receiving the money they should move. We intend to secure it to ensure they do not continue lingering in the camps,” an official from the Devolution ministry said.

The government is using Sh3.3 billion to resettle the IDPs, with Sh832 million set aside for 2,000 families evicted from the Mau Forest.

The IDPs said the process of demarcating the disputed land had been suspended following the controversy surrounding its ownership. “Our fear is that we may end up missing out on the land if the courts rule against us,” said Mercy Wanjiku from Njoro.