Government releases Sh27 million to compensate former IDPs

By Peter Mutai

The Government has released more than Sh27 million to pay IDPs who have returned to their farms.

The families who were uprooted from their homes in Kericho during post-election violence were not compensated when the Government paid thousands of IDPs living in camps.

According to records at the local DC’s office, 2,700 IDPs had not received the Sh10,000 token from the Government.

Local DC Samuel Njora said most of the returnees were either back to their places of work or their farms.

Build homes

Speaking to hundreds of residents who attended this year’s World Peace Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens in Kericho town, Mr Njora said the IDPs would be paid from next week.

"We have received the money released by the Treasury to be paid to all victims of post-election violence in the district," he said.

However, the DC said the Government was yet to release another Sh25,000 for each of the affected families.

The money was to be used to rebuild homes set ablaze or vandalised during the violence.

Njora assured all victims of the violence who registered with the Government that they would be paid.

"We want to assure all IDPs whose houses and property were destroyed during the violence that they will be assisted to restart their lives," he said.

The administrator appealed to communities in the region to co-exist peacefully and shun politicians out to divide them along tribal lines.