Simon Siele
29 September 2008
Nairobi — Internally displaced people at the Nakuru showground camp sat in the middle of the Nakuru- Kabarnet highway on Monday morning to protest the arrest of 17 of their own.
The victims were arrested on Sunday night on suspicion that they were attending a meeting organised by members of the outlawed Mungiki sect.
The internal refugees, however, denied this, claiming that those arrested were their leaders who were planning how best they could use the Sh10,000 given to each of them by the Government.
They said they had met to finalise plans to buy land since the camp would be closed on Wednesday.
Those seized were found in a house in the neighbourhood of Nakuru showground, where about 6,000 people are still camping.
A contingent of regular and Administration police officers in anti-riot gear, led by Daniel Kimeu and Dickson Njiru, ordered the demonstrators to stop blocking the road.
Monday's commotion comes in the wake of increased pressure on the Government to close the camp, which is being seen as a security risk since some criminals are using it as a hideout.
Area MP Lee Kinyanjui and his Rongai counterpart Luka Kigen petitioned the Government to speed up the resettlement, claiming suspected criminals were hiding there.
Last week, boda boda motorcycle operators threatened to invade the camp in search of a motorbike, which they claimed, was stolen and hidden there.
Piece of land
Nakuru district commissioner Njenga Miiri, who visited the scene, picked 10 representatives of the internally displaced people for a meeting to discuss arrests.
The displaced people said they had identified a piece of land in North Kinangop, Nyandarua District. They intend to buy the 500-acre farm by the end of this month at a cost of Sh5 million.
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