The national government has been asked to fully compensate all victims of the 2007/2008 post election violence countrywide and save them from individuals who are unsuspectedly conning them.
Speaking in Lugari, the national deputy coordinator for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) network Mr. George Njoroge expressed his disappointment over the manner in which the government has handled the IDPs compensation issue, accusing it of focusing much on certain regions while neglecting others.
He regretted that the post election victims plight has not been effectively addressed despite their profiling by the national government way back in 2008.
The deputy coordinator disclosed that out of the 253,000 IDPs that were profiled, only 83,000 have so far been compensated Ksh. 50,000 each. “It is sad to note that up to now a total of 170,000 individuals who were displaced from their lands and homes have never been compensated after their names were removed from the compensation list without any explanation yet just like their counterparts, besides losing loved ones, property worth millions of shillings belonging to them also went up in flames,” said the agitated officials.
Njoroge appealed to the Jubilee government to treat all post election violence victims equally without bias and give an explanation on the fate of the 170,000 IDPs waiting to be compensated. “I am calling on President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto to urgently intervene and address this matter and save these IDPs from double torment of displacement and neglect,” appealed Njoroge.
He said the delay has created loop-holes for conmen who are moving round collecting money from the victims pretending to push for their compensation.
He disclosed that there was a woman in Mumias who is working with other crooks based in Nakuru who are targeting IDPs from the Luhya community in Western region.
He said the woman has been moving around collecting thousands of shillings from the unsuspecting victims claiming to register them so that they can be compensation like their colleagues.
Njoroge has urged the public and particularly the post election violence victims never to give their money and instead alert police when anybody goes to the asking for money to facilitate their compensation.