Camp for internal refugees pulled down

More tents for internally displaced people in Molo District were on Wednesday pulled down. The exercise was conducted in the presence of Special Programmes permanent secretary Ali Daud Mohammed.

The more than 200 victims of post poll violence who had pitched their tents at Mukinyai trading centre were paid Sh35,000 each before they were ordered to pull down the tents.

The PS, who was touring camps in the district accompanied by the vice-chairman of the Humanitarian Board, Mr Moses Akaranga, said the Government would not give any more time to those in camps in the district as there was no reason for them to remain in the camp. 

Mr Mohammed said the Government had done its part and it was time the victims moved out of the tents. 

He said the security situation in the district had normalised following concerted efforts by the district peace and reconciliation committees. 

The PS said the majority of those still in satellite camps were not genuine and remained in camps to get handouts from donors and the Government.

Mr Mohammed gave the example of a transitional camp where an NGO had built more than 299 houses for the victims but they were still reluctant to leave the camps. 

Wednesday’s exercise brings the number of satellite camps closed in two weeks to 12. The main camp in Molo will be closed on Friday. 

Mr Mohammed said more than 120,000 families had been resettled countrywide and all major camps would be closed before the end of the year.

Lack of funds

Mr Akaranga criticised the Government for failing to release Sh31 billion to the Special Programmes ministry to resettle the victims as it originally promised.

He said the resettlement had been hampered by lack of funds. He said the Sh1.5 billion the humanitarian board had received from the Government had been disbursed. 

Mr Akaranga said that several humanitarian agencies were involved in the housing programmes among them the Danish Refugee Council which is building 2,700 houses, the International Organisation for Migration (210), Catholic Diocese of Nakuru (50) and Hope of Africa Migration Initiative (500) .

Meanwhile, Nyandarua County Council leaders ran into trouble at Mawingu camp when they tried to praise President Kibaki’s administration.

The camp is occupied by more than 10,000 people ejected from Rift Valley Province early this year.

Donate food

The councillors were forced to cut short their speeches and hastily donate food when the more than 5,000 victims started heckling them.

“I am very much aware of your troubles but I thank President Kibaki for his resettlement efforts,” one of the councillors said amid heckling.

They asked him to desist from mentioning the Government or the Head of State since they had failed to ease their pain which was caused by politics.

It took the intervention of the victim’s chairman, Mr Peter Kariuki, to restore calm by asking the victims to trust in God and not human beings.

The five councillors gave out 70 bags of maize, five bags of beans and clothes. The camp holds a total of 12,000 victims of post-election violence.