IDPs protest march halted

Police on Wednesday used tear gas to disperse thousands of internal refugees who tried to start a 200-kilometre walk from ol Kalou to Nairobi.

They had decided to walk from their camp in Mawingo area of ol-Kalou division in Nyandarua Central District to present their grievances to President Kibaki.

However, they were intercepted by the police on Tuesday night before they entered Gilgil town and forced back into their camp.

A police source said they decided to break up the march fearing it could be infiltrated by idlers keen on looting from shops in Gilgil township.

However, the chairman of the refugees Mr Peter Kariuki later said, “We had no intention to commit any crime in the town as our procession was peaceful. All we wanted was to proceed to State House to present our views”.

They scampered in different directions but later regrouped on the Nakuru-Nairobi highway. And they managed to walk a few kilometres before they were stopped by security officers led by Naivasha DC Hellen Kiilu.

Ms Kiilu persuaded them to go back to their camp promising that their grievances would be forwarded to the government. The DC was accompanied by area police boss Patrick Nasio.

The refugees said they fear the government may collapse before they are resettled. The march is said to have been discreetly planned and caught the administration unawares. School children were even made to skip classes.

Mr Kariuki said they were to present their grievances to President Kibaki. The grievances concerned their predicament at the camp for the past two years and non-fulfilment of promises made to them by the government. 

The group shouted slogans against the government for failing to resettle them. They were later driven back to the camp in hired lorries.