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Kenya: Florence Chepkemoi - 'We Decided to Return When We Were Told There Was Peace'
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UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
INTERVIEW
23 July 2008
Posted to the web 23 July 2008
Mt. Elgon
Florence Chepkemoi lives in the western district of Mt Elgon. She lost her husband in the land clashes that erupted in September 2006. She talked to IRIN about her experiences during and after the conflict which pitted two communities of same clan against each other. Thousands of people have returned to the district and are living with other families or in transit camps near their farms.
"Before the election violence there was conflict in this area over land allocation. People were asking where they were expected to go to if the land was allocated to a few people.
"Then people started slaughtering each other. I could not believe that these were the same people we had lived with.
"My husband was first shot by some attackers at our house; fortunately, he survived. But he was not so lucky the second time when he was stabbed to death. Our cows were also stolen.
"Then the unimaginable happened. My 10 children were in the house when someone set it on fire. I was in shock and couldn't move but they were saved by some good Samaritans.
"The militias were asking us to pay tax; if you did not have the money when they came to collect they could cut off your ears to discipline you. Caning was also common.
"They would also take the older girls by force and send them back home after a week.
"Due to the insecurity we started staying in the schools and churches before eventually leaving the district.
"Some people who were accused of leaking the secrets of the militias were followed up to TransNzoia [a neighbouring district] and killed. You could not report it even if you knew the attackers.
"We decided to return when we were told there was peace although it is difficult to get food here.
"When we are lucky we get some potatoes and maize flour from the neighbours and we are also getting health services from the police and the military.
"We get two blankets per household, which is a problem if you have many children. We also do not have soap to wash our children's clothes.
"Most of the people here have land they would like to return to. What we really need is shelter so that we can go back to our farms now that there is security.
"We are from both communities but we are living together in peace."
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[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]
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