State set to resettle over 1,000 IDP families

By JOB WERU

Two ministers on Sunday said the Government will resettle all internally displaced persons before the end of the year.

Special Programmes Minister Esther Murugi and her lands counterpart James Orengo said the Government had set aside funds for the exercise and it was in the process of identifying and purchasing land in various parts of the country.

Speaking in Nyeri at a fundraiser held at New Life Church, Murugi said the process had been undertaken at a slow pace, adding that the Government had acquired land where some IDP families will be resettled next week.

Murugi, whose ministry is directly involved in the resettlement said about 1,000 families, will be moved to the land in Rumuruti, Rongai and each IDP will get two and-a-half acres.

"We have identified a piece of land, next week, 1,000 families will be resettled. After the exercise, we will be left with about 3,000 families to resettle," said Murugi.

Orengo identified lack of land, exorbitant prices charged by landowners willing to sell land, politicking by some leaders who intend to delay the process and fake IDPs as some of the problems that have dogged the resettlement process.

He said some leaders have dragged the resettlement process with politics.

"We want to ensure that we resettle all the remaining IDPs by the end of this year. We do not want to go to elections while our people are still in camps," the minister said.

The ministers’ sentiments came after Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama, who was also present decried the slow resettlement pace.

"It is sad that we (politicians) were elected by these poor people, but we have concentrated on gathering more riches and forgotten their fate," said Muthama.

The PNU Chief Whip threatened to rally MPs and like-minded leaders to compel the Government to resettle all IDPs languishing in camps.

But Orengo said the Government was committed to reclaim all public utility plots that have been irregularly allocated to individuals.

Foreign court

He cited a public cemetery in Nyeri, which he said has been converted into palatial residential facilities as an example and urged local leaders to furnish his office with requisite documents to facilitate repossession.

The leaders urged Kenyans to embrace peace and unity and shun tribalism.

Muthama said it was unfortunate that almost 50 years after independence, a Kenyan case was being handled by a foreign court (ICC), while peace and tranquillity among various communities could have averted the violence that rocked the country. "I ask that we pray for our leaders who are faced with cases in The Hague," said Murugi.