4 March 2008
Nairobi — Elders in Nakuru have been asked to organise a welcome party for displaced people when they finally leave camps to return to their homes.
The party will allow members of different ethnic communities and representatives of the displaced persons to talk freely about the violence and ask for forgiveness to ensure the violence witnessed a month ago does not recur.
Nakuru DC Wilson Wanyanga said a welcome party for the victims was one of the options that the Nakuru inter-ethnic peace initiative was pursuing.
"The last time these people left their homes, they witnessed the kind of killings they may not have seen in their lives before.
"We don't expect them to just return to the estates quietly, without any ceremony and continue with their lives normally," Mr Wanyanga told a gathering of the Nakuru business community.
He said the ceremony will help bind together members of different ethnic communities and assure the displaced victims that the political grudge is over.
For speedy healing in Nakuru, Mr Wanyanga appealed to employers to recruit and promote staff on merit and avoid discriminating against their employees along ethnic lines.
Elsewhere, Nakuru Catholic Bishop Peter Kairo said the signing of the peace deal between President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga was the easiest part in ending the post-election conflict.
"Not only does Parliament need to move with speed to entrench the deal in the Constitution, but MPs also need to urgently move to the grassroots and interpret the deal to the people, how the parties will share responsibilities," Bishop Kairo said.
Constitutional reform
The prelate said the piecemeal Constitutional amendments must be followed immediately with a comprehensive Constitutional reform that will entrench land reform, power devolution and provide a framework for handling ethnicity that he said was deeply entrenched in the country.
"Signing the peace deal alone will not stop the spate of killings. The Government must tackle the issue of resettlement, acceptance of the displaced people back home and reconciliation."
About 1,200 displaced people camping at the Afraha Stadium in Nakuru will be moved to alternative grounds to allow sporting activities to resume.
However, Kenya Red Cross said they were waiting for a perimeter fence to be erected around the space outside the stadium where the tents will be pitched.
Mr Andayi Shihanda, who manages the Afraha camp, said the camp, which had about 10,000 people three weeks, ago now has only 938. Many people had decided to go back to their rural homes.
The majority, who are women and children, travelled on Thursday last week as they feared they would easily be attacked in the camps if an agreement failed to materialise.
Meanwhile, Tasly Afrika (K) Ltd visited those remaining in the camp and donated four tents valued at Sh500,000.
Mr Hienz Wang, the marketing manager, his assistant, Mr Steven Kavilu and Ms Michelle Wu, the assistant finance manager, said they were moved by the plight of the displaced persons and decided to help out.
After touring the Afraha Stadium and the Nakuru show ground, the company promised to bring more donations including herbal sanitary pads and soap.
Food rations to displaced people camping at Eldoret show ground will from this week be distributed to those who will have returned to their farms.
Uasin Gishu district commissioner Bernard Kinyua called on the displaced to go back to their homes, saying those who will still be at the show ground will not receive the food.
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