Over 10,000 Internally Displaced Persons from the 2007/08 Post Election Violence and Sabaot Land Defense Forces (SLDF) in Bungoma County have threatened to protest if the government will not resettle them.Benard Wakhungu Wanyonyi, their Spokesperson notes that the ongoing program to resettle IDPs has not covered their region. “I spokesperson IDPs from Bungoma County on Wednesday we shall hold demonstrations demanding immediate resettlement of over 10,000 IDPs who were affected by SLDF and the Post-Election Violence.” “The Deputy President’s speech on Saturday never mentioned the areas where the government is going to resettle IDPs in isolation of IDPs of Bungoma County,” he claims.
The government on Saturday announced a KSH 1.1 Billion to resettle 5387 households in five counties as part of healing and reconciliation. Deputy President William Ruto said all IDPs will be resettled before the much anticipated El Nino rains. He spoke when he issued cgeques to IDPs in Mahi Mahiu, Gilgil Njoro and Rongai in Nakuru County. On Sunday, he gave more cheques to families in Yamumbi slums, in Eldoret, Koilot in Nandi and Konoin and Sambalat in Elegeyo Marakwet County. “We are usingSh 1. Billion this weekend to resettle 5,384 IDP households to start their lives afresh and join other Kenyans in the nation building, said Ruto. However, the program has raised criticism. Gabriel Dolan, Priest and a Hman Rights Defender from Coast Province said, “IDPs in Mombasa only got Sh. 10,000 as those from Rift Valley got Sh200,000 with no mention of Kisii and Kisumu IDPs.”
