Joy as IDPs get land, start new life

Nakuru County

The Government started resettling hundreds of IDPs who have been living in Gilgil for three years.

However, their counterparts in Mai Mahiu, Naivasha, announced they will demonstrate today over failed resettlement despite being told Special Programmes Minister Esther Murugi has agreed to meet them.

Thirty-five families from Vumilia camp in Gilgil were the first to leave after the Government acquired 100 acres to resettle them.

Twenty-eight families will be resettled in Gwa Kung’u in Nyahururu while seven families will be resettled in Mitimingi, with each getting two-and-a-quarter piece of land.

Gilgil DC Elmi Shaffi, who supervised the exercise, said plans are under way to resettle the 107 families.

He called on IDPs in other camps to be patient, saying they would also be resettled once land was acquired.

“We have given them food. We hope that will keep them going until they are settled,” he said.

Shaffi noted school-going children would be affected by the move and called on education officers in Nyahururu to assist them.

He added that the group heading to Mitimingi would be resettled in a 20-acre farm donated by a Good Samaritan.

“We have a long way to go before all IDPs in this area are resettled but the Government is committed,” Shaffi said. The departing IDPs could not hide their joy. According to their leader Esther Ngunjiri, they were ready to restart lives in their new homes.

She, however, called on the Government to remember those remaining in the camps and hasten their resettlement.

In Naivasha, the over 500 IDPs from Jikaze camp said that they would march to the DC’s office to have their grievances addressed.

The IDPs resolved to protest barely a day after armed police thwarted a similar protest.

Addressing the Press in the town, Mr Njoroge said the IDPs had served police and Naivasha DC with a notice to demonstrate.

“We were the first people to move to the resettlement camp yet the Government has forgotten us,” said Njoroge.

He said they wanted to be resettled since they had already identified arable land in Moi Ndabi and Mai Mahiu as directed by the Ministry of Special Programmes.

Ms Rose Wanjiku said the displaced people would camp in the DC’s office until their grievances are addressed. Naivasha DC Hellen Kiilu said she was not aware of the planned demonstration.

Kiilu confirmed Murugi will meet the IDPs to address their resettlement and concerns about hunger in the camps.  “We have received the reports that the Minister will meet the IDPs on Monday afternoon in her office,” she said.