President Uhuru issues Sh800 million payout for Gusii IDPs

President Uhuru Kenyatta (second left) issues out a cheque worth Sh358 million towards resettlement of 7,000 IDPs in Kisii County. (Photo: Eric Abuga/Standard)

About 7,000 people in Kisii displaced during the 2007/2008 post-election violence have finally been compensated.

A special team set up to work with the Office of the President listed over 7,000 people for compensation. The Internally Displaced People (IDPs) had opted to be integrated in Kisii County instead of living in camps.

Names of those who have benefited were vetted from a list forwarded to the National Coordination Consultative Committee on IDPs (NCCC) by the IDPs Network Patron Evans Misati.

President Uhuru Kenyatta Tuesday issued a cheque worth Sh358 million at Masimba Secondary School playground with a promise of another Sh460 million to be issued out to Nyamira County IDPs on Wednesday.

"This has been a thorny issue among the Gusii community. We promised to deal with the issue and never again should Kenya face such a mess," said Uhuru.

He added: “We do not wish to go back to the kind of violence experienced in Kenya during the 2007 General Election,” the President said.

The IDPs were demanding Sh200,000 each to buy land just like their counterparts in Central and Rift Valley regions.

The Kisii County IDPs coordinator Alfred Akama said they will consult on the way forward on the funds issued.

"We were promised Sh200,000 each but we will wait for the President's promise to issue more funds," said Akama.

National IDPs coordinator Adan Wachu said the government will settle all IDPs in Nyanza.

"The government will resettle all IDPs from the six counties in Nyanza. Funds have been set aside for the program," he said.