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Kenya: 65,000 Refugees Return Home
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The Nation (Nairobi)
12 May 2008
Posted to the web 12 May 2008
Sollo Kiragu
Nairobi
Sixty five thousand internal refugees have been resettled in Rift Valley Province since the programme started last week.
Rift Valley provincial commissioner Noor Hassan Noor said that in Kipkelion District, 20,000 internal refugees had been resettled and only a few remained in camps and would be resettled this week.
Mr Noor, who toured two refugee camps in Londian Town and Sorget, praised the host community for accepting the internal refugees, and pledged government assistance in rebuilding destroyed homes.
He also said the Government would guarantee security for the internally displaced people.
Ethnic differences
Attributing lack of development in the region to ethnic differences, the provincial boss urged local leaders to put a stop to ethnic wars that have become a common phenomenon of general election campaigns.
He also appealed to teachers who fled the post-election violence to return to their work stations.
Mr Noor's tour, which was also meant to promote reconciliation, was attended by Kipkelion Member of Parliament, Mr Magerer Langat, the district commissioner, Mr Aden Halake, Kipsigis County Council chairman Daniel Rono, Kipkelion council chairman Zablon Cheruiyot and the Londiani council chairman, Mr David Kikwai.
Reacting to claims from Kipkelion leaders that the district had been marginalised economically, Mr Noor said that the community must participate in business activities if they wished to improve their wellbeing.
He said all internal refugees leaving the camps for their homes should be provided with food and tents. He had been disappointed, he said, by reports that those who had left the camps were not being supplied with food rations as directed by the Government.
Some refugees still living in the camps, however, claimed that some NGOs were urging them not to go back to their homes, but Mr Noor said the displaced had borne the brunt of the post-election violence and should not allow themselves to be used as pawns by outsiders.
Mr Noor praised the Kipkelion MP, Mr Langat, for spearheading the resettlement exercise, saying, the district will serve as an example to others that internal refugees could rebuild their lives.
He said that personnel from his office will camp in Molo to preach peace and encourage those living in camps to go back to their farms.
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Mr Langat urged Kipkelion residents to avoid being used by outsiders to fight against each other, saying that this has retarded development in the district.
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