Government has spent Sh17b on IDPs, says CS Mwangi Kiunjuri

Devolution Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri

The Government has spent Sh17 billion on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) so far, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri has said.

Mr Kiunjuri said some 74,847 people had received Sh4.1 billion (Sh35,000 each) to rebuild their destroyed houses through the Rudi Nyumbani programme, 397 Uganda returnees received Sh14.6 million (Sh37,000 each) and Sh7 billion was spent on 8,754 IDPs who received Sh10,000 and 2.25 acres of land.

The CS also said 90,553 IDPs received Sh10,000 each as start-up capital. Another 19,072 IDPs with special needs in all the 47 counties benefited from Sh5.4 billion.

While responding to a Senate question on how much the Government had spent, Kiunjuri said 66,880 houses had been constructed for the IDPs with African Development Bank financing 22,000 low-cost houses.

The Government's database has a list of 75,167 such households, with Nakuru County having the highest number of 17,652, followed by Uasin Gishu (9,936), Trans Nzoia (6,395) and Garissa having the least (four).

Kiunjuri said the State plans to spend a further Sh6 billion in the coming 2016-17 financial year to resettle the remaining victims.

The CS however lamented that there was no policy to govern resettling of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

According to the Ministry of Devolution, the Government does not yet have a comprehensive policy on IDPs, which has been a major challenge in the resettlement programmes.

Currently, resettlement is being guided by an Act of Parliament (prevention, protection and assistance to IDPs and affected communities act, 2012).

"The Act is very comprehensive on how IDPs matters should be handled. However, the National Consultative Coordination Committee (NCCC) on IDPs is in the process of developing a policy and the Act's implementation regulations," said CS Kiunjuri.

Kiunjuri said NCCC will seek legal advice from the Attorney General on interpretation of the Act with a view to determining the cut-off dates of its mandate.