Kibaki on IDPs

President Mwai Kibaki has ordered the resettlement of all genuine Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) within two weeks.

The President directed that the ministries of Finance, Special Programmes, Lands, Internal Security and Agriculture should work together and move with speed in ensuring that land is availed for the resettlement exercise.

“We should move with speed to resettle the IDPs who are still in camps. This matter has dragged on for too long. We must deal with it and ensure that we do not have persons still living in camps,” the Head of State emphasised.

The President added: “We also need to help those who are going back to their land to resettle and undertake their farming. I also appeal to all communities to live peacefully and co-exist harmoniously.”

President Kibaki was speaking today at his Harambee House office where he chaired a meeting of the committee overseeing resettlement of IDPs.

During the meeting, it was resolved that all IDP camps should be closed down within two weeks once the IDPs are resettled on the land purchased by the Government. It was also agreed that the Ministry of Finance should avail adequate funds for the purchase of land for the resettlement programme while the Ministry of Land identifies arable land for the same purpose.

In this regard, the Ministry of Internal Security was directed to ensure that no new camps crop up after the genuine IDPs are resettled by the Government.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Special Programmes was ordered to continue with the exercise of paying Sh25,000 to the integrated IDPs who are accommodated by other families.

The committee also agreed that the purchase of land by the Government for the purpose of resettling the IDPs should be conducted in a transparent manner to ensure that Government gets value for its money while the IDPs are resettled on arable land.

The meeting was attended by Special Programmes Minister Dr Naomi Shaban, Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Internal Security Minister Prof George Saitoti and Lands Minister James Orengo and Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Muthaura among others.