9 May 2008
Nairobi — The Catholic Relief Services plans to put up five eco-villages for displaced people at a cost of Sh250 million.
The villages will be on a pilot basis and will be replicated, once their success is ascertained.
The project's leader, Dr Jacob Kibwage, said CRS would from this month carry out a feasibility study on the project at a cost of Sh12.5 million.
"The IDPs have embraced the idea after discussing it with the Provincial Administration," said Kibwage, a lecturer at Maseno University.
The eco-village is a concept whereby the IDPs would return to their homes, but would be resettled in clusters, an idea Kibwage said has succeeded in developed countries.
He said one village each was earmarked for Kitale, Burnt Forest and Molo, while two will be put up in Eldoret. Constructing communal facilities such as schools, health centres and police posts will cost Sh50 million in each village.
"The success of this undertaking is dependant on how the Government, donors and the IPDs themselves will work together," said the don, adding that the input of experts should not be ignored. The Ministry of Special Programmes has given approval to the project, Kibwage said.
Elsewhere, John Cardinal Njue asked the Government to hasten compensation of victims of post-election violence to enable them lead normal lives.
"People have been living in bad conditions in the camps and are going back home with tents, which are not adequate shelter," he said.
He said the displaced people had lost property during the skirmishes and needed help with reconstruction.
Njue said he was optimistic that the resettlement would be successful and urged politicians to help reconcile communities in their constituencies.
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He said: "Politicians' attitude matters in this process and they should go to the ground and talk to their people. This will help speed up resettlement and reconciliation."
Speaking in Nakuru town, the Cardinal also announced that the Catholic Church would help to reconcile communities in affected areas.
He said the church was working on a programme that would enable them participate in the healing process.
"We will use the parishes to preach peace and reconciliation," he said.
He insisted that the Government should provide security to those returning to their farms.
He said the refusal by some displaced people to leave the camps was due to fear arising from what they went through during the violence.
He said no refugee would want to continue living in the camps under the deplorable conditions but they had to consider their security.
The Cardinal was speaking at the Trinity Catholic Parish in Nakuru during the welcoming ceremony of Bishop Phillip Anyolo as the administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru.
Anyolo, who is also the bishop in charge of the Homa Bay Diocese, takes over from Bishop Peter Kairo who was transferred to the Nyeri archdiocese.
Kairo, who had served in Nakuru for ten years, took over from Archbishop Nicodemus Kirima who died in March this year.
Also present during the ceremony was the Pope's representative to Kenya, Nuncio Paul Lebaupin and theVicar-General of Nakuru Diocese Moses Muraya.
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