Kenya's IDPs hold mock referendum

Written By:KNA , Posted: Wed, Aug 04, 2010

Internally displaced persons camping at Gwa Kung'u in Ndaragwa constituency failed to participate in the referendum on the proposed new constitution Wednesday.

The victims instead held a mock referendum exercise as a way of showing solidarity with other Kenyans who took part in the exercise.

The over 400 victims could not afford bus fare to go back to Limuru where they had been registered as voters.

According to them, the only way they could take part in the exercise was to have a mock referendum exercise at the end of which the ‘Returning Officer' Mr John Kimani announced the results with the Yes side winning by 430 votes against the NO side which had 20 votes. Seven votes were spoilt.

Their chairman Charles Kariuki told KBC that the IDPs had been willing to take part in the exercise just like the rest of the Kenyans but they could not afford the Ksh 700 fare to take them back to Limuru where they were previously camping and where they were registered.

"It has become impossible for us to travel back to the area since we don't have stable income. That is why we decided to hold our own referendum," he said.

The Interim Independent Electoral Commission regulations stipulate that one can only vote in areas where they registered as voters.

"We moved to this place a month ago but we had been previously camping at Limuru where we registered. The Commission failed to listen to our pleas," he noted.

"This is a constitution that majority of us have been wishing for and it is exactly been shown in the mock referendum. We hope that it will sail through" he said.

Ol Kalou MP Erastus Mureithi expressed concern that majority of IDPs in Nyandarua would be left out in the exercise due to transport hitches and faulted the Commission for failing to take measures to ensure the IDPs were not disenfranchised.

The IDPs have been living in camps since the post-election violence that rocked the country following the disputed results of the 2007 general elections.