TJRC told children yet to heal from 2008 violence

By Karanja Njoroge

Children in IDP camps are still traumatised by the post-election violence, the Truth Justice Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) was told.

IDP leaders told the commission that most of the children are yet to fully come to terms with the violence, where hundreds of people were killed and others displaced.

"The events are still fresh in their minds. They usually draw pictures of burning houses, arrows and other images related to the violence," Nakuru region IDP coordinator Daniel Njenga said.

The displaced persons and other victims of ethnic clashes in Rift Valley narrated to the commission sitting in Nakuru how recurrent violence in the region had disrupted their lives.

Njenga said teenagers, who were forced to drop out school because of the violence, are still bitter and could be recipe for future chaos.

"Some have been heard vowing that they would revenge over what they went through if they get a chance," the IDP official told the commission, which was having its sitting at Nakuru Municipal Council Hall at the weekend.

He urged the commission to compel the Government to initiate civic education and awareness programmes, which would reconcile and heal the affected communities.

"Peace missions should be intensified and those efforts should involve the victims and host communities," he added.

Njenga, however, cautioned that segregation of communities during the ongoing resettlement could be another cause of future conflict.

The chairlady of Keringet IDP Camp Jane Wairimu and Peter Mwangi of the Victims of Ethnic Clashes group echoed his sentiments saying those resettled in the farms purchased by the Government should be composed of people from different ethnic groups.