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Kenya: Kibaki Tour - All is Not Lost in Power Struggle
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The East African Standard (Nairobi)
OPINION
28 April 2008
Posted to the web 28 April 2008
Biketi Kikechi
Nairobi
President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga's visit to the Rift Valley over the weekend shifted the focus from power politics to the plight of the internally displaced persons (IDPs).
It also provided a ray of hope to the IDPs who now feel that the country's leadership is also thinking about their resettlement.
Most satisfying was an assurance from Rift Valley leaders who accompanied the two that they were committed to ensuring that lasting peace is realised in the province.
"We must find a lasting solution to this problem to stop our people from picking machetes, axes, arrows and other crude weapons to fight after every five years," said Eldoret North MP, Mr William Ruto.
The tour by the two leaders meant so much to the IDPs, that those camping at Kitale showground, Endebess and Naivasha protested when the President and PM failed to visit them.
The tour had started on a stormy note when there was a protocol hitch and some leaders were heckled during the first rally at Kipchoge Keino stadium.
Despite the humiliation, President Kibaki, Prof George Saitoti and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka dwelt on the subject at hand and implored all communities in the area to live in peace.
What emerged at the meeting was that the ODM and PNU rivalry among party supporters in the region was still boiling and would take a lot of effort by leaders in the grand coalition to unite their followers.
Ruto attempted to pass the message when he said: "We fought hard to win the Presidential election, just like PNU did, but through God's grace we are now working together and so should our supporters."
Then there are those who feel that the visit to the Eldoret town created more confusion among the local communities.
Ms Milka Muthoni, an IDP at Eldoret showground, summarised the feelings of her colleagues when she lamented that those who were heckling and booing should have respected the President.
Confusion reigned earlier in the day when it emerged that the President's programme had changed. Reports in the media on Wednesday said the President and Raila were to visit IDPs in Eldoret and then proceed to Cherangany.
The local security team and journalists were at Eldoret International Airport waiting for the leaders when they were informed that they would be landing at the Eldoret airstrip. Kibaki, Raila, Kalonzo, Ruto, Mr Henry Kosgey, Dr Sally Kosgey, Mr Samuel Poghisio, Mr Dalmas Otieno, Dr Naomi Shaban and Rift Valley PC Hassan Noor Hassan then drove straight to the Eldoret State Lodge.
It also emerged that IDP leaders had gone around the camp on Wednesday evening with megaphones announcing that the President's team would not be visting them.
The IDPs started protesting the following morning saying they would not attend the meeting at the stadium because they did not have bus fare.
The sentiments must have reached the leaders because word filtered out of State Lodge that Kibaki would make a brief visit at 10.30am before going for the rally.
There were no security arrangements for the dignitaries at the showground when Kibaki's convoy arrived and proceeded to the police post within. Kibaki made a brief speech before Saitoti asked him to look inside some of the tents. That is when some IDPs agreed to walk the 5km to the stadium.
At Geta farm, Kibaki and Raila were pleased to find that some IDPs who were camping at the Kachibora camp had returned to their farms. The President received 17,000 iron sheets from the Minister of Special Programmes, Dr Shaaban.
The following day, the leaders headed south, with a stop at Chebilat in Sotik, where the situation appeared similar to what they had witnessed at Geta farm. Here, things were also returning to normal.
In Molo, Kibaki and his team witnessed another eyesore of massive displacement where victims only visit their farms at daytime to till and plant.
All in all, a lot needs to be done by the leaders to ensure that those camping in Eldoret, Burnt Forest, Turbo, Kitale and Endebess are resettled
Raila told the IDPs at all stops that the leaders would be back soon with a better message and that was received well.
However, the host communities in the province are also waiting to hear from the leaders when historical injustices would be addressed.
Those evicted from Kipkurere and other forests in Nandi and Mau Forest in Narok South are also demanding that they be resettled.
Cabinet minister, Mr Henry Kosgey, insisted that the matter should be dealt with for proper reconciliation to be achieved.
However, not much was said about the future of the IDPs, apart from reassurances that they would go back to their farms soon.
Most were disappointed that no tentative programme was laid out for them to go back.
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Others expected the leaders to address the issue of compensation that was largely ignored.
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| Copyright © 2008 The East African Standard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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