Refugees stay put in pay demand

It’s a group of weather-beaten people of all ages camping outside Parliament Buildings vowing not to leave until their grievances are addressed.

They are Kenyan refugees who fled the country at the height of the 2007/08 post-election violence, but were repatriated in May last year.

Last week, there were about 100 families camping in solidarity, braving the chilly Nairobi nights and the unforgiving sun during the day.

Even a woman giving birth on Saturday night did not weaken their resolve, but rather strengthened it.

“Anything may happen here, we have vowed not to leave, some of us are sick, like I’m asthmatic and at night it gets very bad,” their treasurer, Mr Stephen Mwangi, said.

“The woman who gave birth was taken by a passer-by to Kenyatta [National] Hospital. We do not know how she is doing and whether she is getting treatment and food,” he answered when asked what became of the woman.

In February, Deputy President William Ruto said that the last batch of internally displaced persons had been compensated and Sh1 billion released from the Treasury to that effect.

But the refugees are yet to be compensated and many of them say they are suffering as the government neglects them.

The refugees said upon leaving Uganda, government officials gave them, for a family of one to three members Sh100,000, families of five to 10 members were given Sh150,000 while others were given Sh10,000.

The money was meant to help them look for housing and at least put food on the table while waiting for the rest of compensation.

But Mr Stephen Njoroge, the deputy chairman of the group, said the government had promised to give them Sh400,000 or resettle them like the IDPs but nothing had been forthcoming so far.

He said the officials had told them to go and that they were to be followed up later.

On Monday, the refugees met officials from the Interior ministry to discuss their situation.

“They told us that the list they have does not match ours and that we should leave and they will sort out our problem within two weeks,” Mr John Njoroge, their secretary, said.

A source inside the Refugee Secretariat, who refused to be named, said: “We have taken their claims. You know when someone comes up with such, you have to study it first before giving a comment. But we are doing everything in our power to ensure they decamp from Parliament.”

He denied knowing that some had been compensated partly.