Government has not forgotten IDPs-Raila

By Francis Ngige and Boniface Gikandi

Prime Minister Raila Odinga says plans to resettle all Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are in the final stages.

He said apart from resettling the IDPs the government was looking for a permanent solution to the problem, which was aggravated by the 2008 post-election chaos.

"It is unfortunate that there are Kenyans still in camps nearly four years down the line but I want to assure Kenyans that the government is making plans to resettle them," said Raila.

Speaking in Maragua on Tuesday at during the burial of

John Gitau, the younger brother of Maragwa MP Elias Mbau, the premier said the government was committed to ensuring that all the IDPs are resettled this year (2011).

"I want to assure the MPs here as well as all Kenyans that the issue is going to be resolved by the government and all people in camps as well as those integrated in homes will be resettled," the PM said.

The MPs led by assistant Minister Peter Kenneth wondered why it had taken a very long time for the government to resettle IDPs.

"We are very close to the next election and yet people who were uprooted from their homes are still in tents. What is the government doing to resettle these people?" posed Kenneth.

Others who raised concerns included Assistant Minister Kabando wa

Kabando and MPs Muturi Mwangi, Clement Wambugu, Nelson Gaichuhie, David Njuguna, Maina Kamau, Rachael Shebesh and Charles Onyancha.

Former Cabinet Minister Joseph Kamotho who was also present supported the MPs sentiments.

Kenneth said it was unfair for the IDPs to continue suffering in tents yet the election problem that bought the chaos had been resolved and coalition government formed.

Kabando said the government should prioritise the resettlement of the IDPs before the long rains set in next month.

At the same time, Raila decried the culture of tribalism, which he said was being propagated by certain politicians.

He said "the cancer" of negative ethnicity that was planted in the country by politicians was slowly eating into the fabric of the country.

Raila said tribal alliances seeking to take over leadership of the country are bound to fail.

"The country is for all of us but certain people want to segregate the country into tribal groupings. The alliances will not succeed," said

Raila.