Minister: We have no cash for IDPs

By MARION NDUNG’U

The Ministry of Special Programmes has run out of funds to resettle displaced people.

Special Programmes Minister Esther Murugi yesterday said the ministry had no capacity to settle over 350,000 displaced persons.

Murugi said for the ministry to settle all the affected families, including those evicted from Mau Forest, the ministry needs Sh200 billion.

“We need 880,000 acres of land to settle these families. We recently adopted the IDPs policy paper and we are waiting to see what is the way forward,” said Murugi.

The minister said her hands were tied, as she has to seek money from the Treasury to realise the goal.

“Until my ministry is facilitated, I can’t help them, the only thing I can do is provide them with food,” Murugi said in Nyeri where IDPs camping at Ruring’u Stadium held a demonstration. The group has defied a Government directive to leave and has vowed to stay put until they are resettled.

Yesterday, Murugi asked the IDPs to return to their districts where they would receive food aid through their respective district commissioners.

The integrated IDPs who have been camping outside Ruring’u Stadium for a month had matched to the provincial commissioner’s office where they presented a petition.

Deputy PC Francis Sila said they were in the grounds illegally since the camp had been closed.

Murugi said although they would not be forcibly removed even if they refused to leave, they would only get help from their respective districts.

The minister claimed some of the IDPs were not genuine and were being used politically. She said some politicians were using them to settle scores but warned that they would meet on the political arena.

Peter Gitahi the co-ordinator of the IDPs denied claims they were being used by politicians.

“We are genuine, we do not know why the minister is saying otherwise,” said Gitahi. The IDPs leaders, county commissioner Michael Mwangi, the deputy PC and the minister held meeting over the issue.