The government has released Sh1,052,200,000 to conclude the resettlement of all the remaining Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.
Addressing representatives of the IDPs at his Karen residence, Deputy President William Ruto said the money would be wired to the accounts of the IDPS beginning Thursday afternoon.
Ruto noted that the beneficiaries numbering 5,261 households were those affected by the 2007/2008 post election violence and those evicted from the Mau forest.
“From tomorrow, these monies will be available in the IDPs’ bank accounts and we expect that by Monday no one will be remaining in the camps and all they will all be closed,” the DP assured.
At the same time, he instructed the Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning to find mechanisms for arbitration on four farms that have been purchased for the resettlement programme.
“I am also asking the Attorney General to expedite the cases involving the 4,000 acre farms including hiring private lawyers,” he added.
Ruto disclosed that in the government has provided cash or bought land for 28, 924 IDP households since the 2007/2008 post election violence, with 20,170 households being resettled in the last three years alone spending Sh17.5 billion cumulatively.
He asked County Commissioners in the counties of Trans Nzoia, Turkana, Isiolo and Nyandarua where most of the remaining IDP camps are, to facilitate removal of the camps from roadsides from Monday.
Speaking at the meeting, the national chairman of the Internally Displaced Persons Patrick Githinji assured that no any other person will come up claiming to be an IDP after this final resettlement programme.
“I thank the government for this generous gesture and assure that the monies given today will be used in buying land or starting small businesses to sustain our lives,” he said.
Ruto had earlier held a consultative meeting between officials of the Ministry of Devolution and Planning led by Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri, the Chairman of the National Coordination Consultative Committee Adan Wachu, the Chairman of the National land Commission Mohammed Swazuri and the IDPs representatives.
