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Kenya: Leaders Accuse State of Hurrying Settlement Drive to Please the U.S.
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The Nation (Nairobi)
11 May 2008
Posted to the web 12 May 2008
Stephen Mburu
Nairobi
The home-bound internal refugees have had mixed fortunes.
While many had a warm reception in places such as Molo, the same cannot be said of other areas in the Rift Valley.
The icy relations that sparked the flight from their homes in the aftermath of the election dispute last year are still manifest in some areas.
Many say they fear returning home to live with their "enemies". Indeed, some have told the government to resettle them elsewhere.
Largely unplanned
Special Programmes minister Naomi Shaaban, who is playing a key role in the settlement drive, has assured the displaced families that no one will be forced to return home.
But some MPs from Rift Valley Province, which was mostly affected by the violence, argue that the programme is being implemented in a hurry, and is largely unplanned.
They say that although they embrace the return of the IDPs, there is need for reconciliation first before settlement.
The MPs, Franklin Bett (Buret), Julius Kones (Konoin) and Isaac Ruto (Chepalungu) want the government and other groups to be involved in a reconciliation programme that will help people live in peace.
The leaders argue that the most important thing now is to reconcile the people instead of using the provincial administration to force the IDPs' neighbours to welcome them back home.
They say armed police escorts and more police stations in the violence-hit areas will not help reconcile the people.
Mr Bett says he is for planned and not "false" resettlement of IDPs.
"Resettlement," he says, "must be in a manner that will give us a permanent solution. That solution is first through reconciliation, development of forgiveness between communities and reawakening of the spirit of love among the people. That will make resettlement meaningful."
"I will not be party to false resettlement," he told the Sunday Nation on telephone.
Mr Ruto accuses the government of hurrying the programme to please the international community, especially the United States.
"The government is in a hurry to remove an eyesore so the international community can give it accolades. It is what we call in Parliament playing to the gallery.
"The government wants to be in good books with the international community," he says.
The MP says the government should involve local political, religious and civic leaders in the province. It should also respect the wishes of the IDPs.
"We MPs from the region are ready and willing to provide leadership for reconciliation," he told the Sunday Nation at Parliament Buildings.
"The IDPs," he says, "are in anguish. They are scared to go back home. It takes two to tango. They should feel happy and safe. There is need for reconciliation.
Conflict resolution
"The provincial administration should not be involved in reconciliation. They are very poor in conflict resolution. To them, reconciliation is force. "
He suggests that sociologists be involved in any programme to help heal the wounds among the affected people.
"University of Nairobi should provide experts to address the issue. This should be done after a proper census to identify genuine IDPs. We may be dealing with professional IDPs."
He also wants a solution to unemployment among the youth "to avoid a new cycle of violence."
Mr Kones says settlement needs proper planning.
"People need to be resettled, but there is no proper planning. Let there be a process. Let people get to know why they are going to live together," he says.
"The reconciliation process should have started first, where we bring together elders from different communities. This looks like a forced resettlement. I feel most (IDPs) were caught off-guard," he says.
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The MP says the underlying emotive issues, including land, should be addressed to find a lasting solution to ethnic conflicts. The land problem, he says, was compounded by the high rate of unemployment among the youth.
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