Kibaki directs parties' funds to feed IDPs

President Kibaki has cancelled the traditional State House Christmas celebrations this year and said funds that would have been spent on the celebrations will now be directed to feed internally displaced people December 22, 2010. FILE

President Kibaki has cancelled the traditional State House Christmas celebrations this year.

Funds that would have been spent on the celebrations will now be directed to feed internally displaced people, according to a statement from the presidency.

The announcement came as Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka disclosed that the government was committed to addressing the plight of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.

Mr Musyoka gave the government’s pledge that all the IDPs will have been resettled by the end of next year.

The VP spoke when he flagged off lorries carrying a consignment of foodstuffs to be donated to IDPs in Rift Valley Province at the Uhuru Park, Nairobi.

From State House, President Kibaki was reading from the same script as the VP as he cancelled the traditional Christmas celebrations by the First Family.

A three-paragraph statement sent through the Presidential Press Service read, “Their Excellencies the President and the First Lady would like to announce that there will be no parties this festive season at any of the State Houses.”

“Their Excellencies have therefore instructed that the funds that State House allocates for the parties be directed at providing ready- made hot meals to IDPs still staying in camps on both Christmas Day and New Year.”

“Their Excellencies also instructed that adequate foodstuff be availed to the IDPs until a permanent solution is soon found to address the issue of IDPs in the country.”

This will not be the first time the president has cancelled such festivities because of the plight of the IDPs.

In December 2008, President Kibaki called off the traditional New Year’s Eve state festivities at State House Mombasa in a move that was lauded as people sensitive leadership.

For a long time, the Kenyan civil society has been vocal in condemning the unnecessary expense of holding grand state festivities when millions of citizens are suffering from poverty and grand social injustices.

At the Uhuru Park, Mr Musyoka observed that resettling IDPs is part of the Agenda IV. He noted that once the IDP issue is behind Kenyans, it will open the door to the long desired reforms including implementing the new constitution.

“The IDP presence in Kenya remains a serious scar for this nation. It is for this reason that the government is determined the resettle them once and for all, by this time, next year,” said Mr Musyoka.

Mr Musyoka said his ideal Kenya was the one that will not even entertain the prospect of ever having IDPs.

“All I know is that is it is a matter of choice that separate us from saying no to what it took to have them in camps.”

The VP through the Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation will distribute foodstuff worth Sh12 million in Mawingo and show ground camps in Nakuru district.

In the New Year, the distribution moves to camps in Kuresoi.

Mr Musyoka at the same time, urged Kenyans to rededicate themselves in helping the less fortunate members of the society especially during this Christmas season.

“This is the time to share what we have with the less fortunate members of the society since Christmas is time to love one another and share what we have with those who do not have,” he said.