MPs want fair sharing of Sh7b for displaced

By JOEL OKWAYO and JAMES MUNYEKI

Two MPs have called for fairness in the disbursement of the Sh7 billion set aside for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Manyala Keya (Lurambi) and Justus Kizito (Shinyalu) said all IDPs should benefit from the allocation, and urged Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure there was no discrimination in the disbursement.

"We have many IDPs in Kakamega County and other parts of the country who should be given some assistance despite having left the camps," said Kizito.

Collect fresh data

He urged Uhuru and Special Programmes Minister Esther Murugi to collect fresh data of IDPs for fair distribution of the money.

Kizito said families that fled from Nairobi and parts of Rift Valley to find settlement in Western should be traced and given assistance.

Keya, who is also Gender Assistant Minister said many families were living as squatters after the 2008 post-election violence.

The legislators were speaking at Bondeni Primary School in Kakamega Town during handing over of a Sh36 million project funded by the Ministry of Housing.

The function was also addressed by Housing minister Soita Shitanda and the Kakamega County Council Chairman John Shimaka.

And IDPs at Mawingu Camp in Nyandarua are furious over failure by the Government to consider them for resettlement at a controversial piece of land in Mau Narok.

To clarify

The victims have been preparing to be moved to the land only for Ms Murugi to clarify that the land was meant for those camping at Pipeline Camp in Nakuru.

Camp chairman Peter Kariuki argued that they were promised they would be given priority in the resettlement, since the camp is the biggest in the country.

Kariuki wondered why the Government reversed the plans.

The camps hosts more than 10,000 in a 50 acre-piece of land.

"The Government promised we would be the first to be moved, only to disappoint us at the last minute. The minister should explain the criteria used to revert the decision," Kariuki observed.

He regretted that the situation at the camp was worsening each day due to congestion and their health situation was at risk. "Our children and the elderly are at risk of contracting disease due to congestion and that is why we want the Government to speed up the exercise," he noted.