President Uhuru Kenyatta urged to resettle all IDPs

More than 500 IDPs from Central Kenya and Nairobi have asked the government to resolve land conflicts that have persisted for years.

Speaking in Nyeri when they prayed for peaceful elections yesterday, the group made up of people displaced in the 2007 and 1992 clashes said although President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration had made progress, a few people had been left out.

“Many of us were promised land but never received any. There are a lot of areas we can be resettled in Central, Rift Valley and Nairobi. We just want an end this homelessness,” said IDP coordinator Peter Gitahi.

The group said they were hopeful their expectations would be met before Uhuru leaves office.

“One of my biggest concerns is the upcoming elections we are praying for peace because we do not want a repeat of what happened to us in 2007,” said Janet Wanjiru.

She said the IDPs were anxious about the next government and how they would address their concerns.

“We want a peaceful and understanding leader who can take care of us without looking at our tribes or our backgrounds.”

Peter Maina said he left the displacement camps in 2008, but had nowhere to call home. “I have been working to provide for my eight children, waiting for word from the government,” he said.

National IDP Network Chairman, Patrick GIthinji, asked Kenyans to vote peacefully.

“Peace is important because we have witnessed how violence can affect people,” he said.