Nation Team
7 September 2008
Nairobi — Internally displaced people have scuttled government plans to resettle them after they rejected Sh10,000 each of them was to be given, claiming corruption.
Those camping at Nakuru showground argued that the Government had been paying imposters who have invaded the camp for families that fled their homes after violence broke out following last year's elections.
The families accused the Government of trying to compensate 3,420 "fictitious" victims while ignoring the 3,389 "genuine beneficiaries" whose identities could be authenticated.
The victims blame resettlement officials and some members of the Provincial Administration.
"We are demanding a proper screening of those claiming to be genuine IDPs, because as far as we are concerned, we vetted all the beneficiaries and handed our lists to the Government, yet we were shocked to learn that some of the names we recommended were omitted," said Mr Peter Kariuki, the chairman of the camp.
Similar claims of corruption and discrimination have dogged the first-tracked disbursement of cash and food rations to help the refugees in the neighbouring Molo and Nakuru North District.
In Sondu, more than 200 families are stranded after the Government failed to resettle them in Kericho District after removing them from Ekerenyo camp in Nyamira District.
To start talks
On Sunday, the group's representatives John Mauti, Charles Atina and Samuel Nyambane asked the Government to start talks with the locals to accept them back.
In Kipkelion, nearly 4,000 internally displaced people protested over the delay in compensating them. They marched around the town, demanding money and building materials.
The uprooted families converged at the district headquarters where efforts by the DC, Mr Aden Harakhe to convince them to go back to their farms fell on deaf ears.
And Kipkelion MP Magerer Langat said that the statement by the former Public Service minister, Mr Moses Akaranga that the district lists were fictitious had only complicated the matters.
Reports by Simon Siele, Henry Nyarora and Sollo Kiragu
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