IDPs in Lugari, Mumias and Turbo have demanded their share of Sh6 billion set aside in this year’s budget. They accused the government of neglect.
“We will not vote in August. We are in this situation because we voted for Mwai Kibaki. He started the process of resettling IDPs and left it to Uhuru. But the President has ignored us, despite us losing property and even our loved ones in the mayhem like other IDPs,” George Njoroge said.
He is the chairman of the Kakamega County National IDPs Network. “We, therefore, issue a seven-day ultimatum to the relevant government authorities to act expeditiously, failing which the IDPs will proceed with street protests,” Njoroge said.
But Western regional coordinator Mwongo Chimwanga said there were no IDPs in Lugari. “The only IDPs I am aware of are those who are still in Uganda. Let me check and then we can share the same in two days,” he told the Star on the phone yesterday.
Turbo town, on the border of Kakamega and Uasin Gishu counties, was the epicentre of 2007-08 PEV skirmishes in Western.
The National IDP Network represents 171,000 PEV households that have not received any assistance from the fund. Each IDP household was to receive Sh200, 000. Kakamega county commissioner Keng’ethe Thuku called for patience.
