Carrying twigs and placards, the IDPs led by their Kakamega county Chairman George Njoroge among other officials of ‘The National Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Network’ demonstrated along the roads and streets before they gathered at Chemi Chemi ground in
Lumakanda location Lugari Sub County where they voiced their grievances.
They PEVs demanded implementation of a memorandum signed on 26th September 2015 between them and the government as a strategy to deal with the resettlement of IDPs to operationalize, prevention and protection of IDPs in which the Government was duly represented by the National Consultative and Coordination Committee (NCCC) on IDPs.
Details of the memorandum included payments of Ksh 200, 000 to each Integrated IDP household which was to be implemented immediately.
The IDPs expressed their disappointment over delaying of the process saying despite the government claiming to have allocated over Ksh 6 billion in the previous budget to facilitate the program it has not been fulfilled demanding an explanation from the National Treasury
Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich on the delay.
They also demand an assurance that all the money allocated to them was intact and deposited into the Fund Account alleging there was a well-orchestrated plan to divert the cash to other programs.
They urged the president to intervene to bring an end to the mental and psychological torment of the Post-election violence victims whose plight has never been given priority considering that the money had been disbursed and not utilized for the intended purpose which contravenes section 15 of the IDPs Act 2012.
The demonstrators issued a 7-day ultimatum to the relevant authorities to act expeditiously, failure to which they will proceed with street protests daily until their plight is addressed and fulfilled. “This petition serves as a notice to the Government of a planned mass action by all IDPs whose plight has not been addressed and who have not been compensated throughout the country.”
They also threatened to boycott the August 8th General Elections or support the opposition side if their plight will not be fully addressed.
