A lobby group championing the rights of Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs) wants government investigative agencies to probe irregular
payment of millions of shillings to masqueraders in the last financial
year, according to a report by Auditor-General Edward Ouko which was made public days ago.
The secretary of the National IDPs network Raphael Eyanai called for
thorough investigations to unravel how bogus beneficiaries infiltrated
the genuine data of integrated IDPs.
“The payment in question was meant for 310, 000 integrated IDPs who
had been left out in earlier payments. The first batch of 83, 891
received payment of sh 50, 000 each,” Mr. Eyanai told the Nation in
Kitale.
Mr. Eyanai said there have also been numerous cases of conmanship by
some highly connected individuals who have been swindling unsuspecting
members by promising to “fast track “their compensation.
“Counties which have witnessed notorious cases of scamming include
Kisii, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Siaya and Kisumu. We have
reported several cases to police,” he said.
According to the Network’s records 310, 000 integrated IDPs had not
been captured in compensation payments since they
never pitched tent in camps after being displaced.
“Integrated IDPs are those who sought refuge elsewhere after being
displaced in the violence. The government had only initially
compensated 350, 000 idps who were in 118 camps countrywide,” said the
secretary.