16 May 2008
Nairobi — Some 113,048 people who had been internally displaced, have been resettled so far, the Provincial Administration has said.
Secretary to the Provincial Administration Mr Kenneth Lusaka said some 60,928 people had not gone back to their homes and castigated those inciting others not to leave the camps.
"This exercise is voluntary and therefore those inciting others not to leave the camps are not assisting the country to reconcile and heal," he said.
Mr Lusaka was speaking in Nakuru where he represented Provincial Administration and Internal Security minister George Saitoti during the official launch of a programme for volunteers who will be involved in peace-building and reconciliation in Nakuru.
Peaceful
Mr Lusaka said the resettlement exercise had been peaceful and urged leaders and elders to continue preaching peace and engage each other in dialogue and reconciliation forums.
In a related development, the Nyandarua County Council has offered transport to those wishing to go back to their farms.
Council chairman John Matheri said that peace had been restored following the national accord.
The Nyandarua North DC Mr Hassan Farah said that the government was ready to grant protection to any family wishing to return to its farm.
Mr Farah said that Nyandarua, being a host district must set the agenda for peace by continuing to allow members of all communities to live and work in the district.
Meanwhile, a cross section of leaders from Molo District have welcomed the involvement of former President Moi in seeking a lasting solution to the perennial tribal clashes in the area.
Led by Mr Ezekiel Kesendany of Kuresoi, the leaders said Mr Moi was a respected elder and that his "fatherly advice" would go along way in resolving ethnic differences.
The former head of state on Tuesday launched a peace initiative in Kuresoi where he held meetings with local leaders to try and reconcile communities split by the post-election violence.
Mr Moi called for the establishment of peace committees through which some of its representatives would meet him at his Kabarak home in Nakuru to deliberate further on issues affecting all the communities in the area.
Kuresoi Member of Parliament Zakayo Cheruiyot welcomed Mr Moi's reconciliation efforts but said there is need for proper resettlement strategies.
"We welcome any individual who is keen in assisting to restore harmony and promote peacefully coexistence among the various communities in the affected areas," Mr Cheruiyot said.
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