The IDP issue- seven years later.

By Rakeli Gichuki

The aftermath of the 2007 Kenyan elections are still visible in the country. The post election violence created a population of internally displaced persons whom to date still live in camps.  We, the Global Citizen Course participants, visited a group of forty families of internally displaced persons who recently settled outside the District Officer’s office in Wiyumiririe in Laikipia County on Nyeri-Nyahururu road.

Ironically, the name Wiyumiririe is a kikuyu word that means, to endure hardship, which perfectly reflects what the IDP’s in Wiyumiririe must do. The living conditions at the camp are very rough. Majority of the tents that they are living in are approximately 5sq meters housing a family of not less that five children.  The tents are made of canvas donated in 2007 by humanitarian organizations; and the nylon paper, sacks and sticks gathered from the environs.

GCC guests looking into one of the houses

Jane in her house

Since the post election violence in 2007, the people currently settled in Wiyumiririe grounds have met nothing but challenges. The community is a group of people who used to live in Rift valley, burnt forest and Kakamega where they had homes and engaged in various economic activities. The violence forced the victims to move to Limuru in a place called Kirathimo, through the support of the Red Cross where they settled in camps. A well-wisher then invited the people to live in her land in a place called Wamura and their dependence on a private person did not seem like a lasting solution to the people. They then decided to go and settle in a place called Nyabugisi. In Nyabugisi the settlers lived in constant fear of attacks by wild animals. They lost four men to attacks by lions and hyenas. The tents do not provide enough protection from animal attacks not to mention bad weather conditions that affects their health.

The settlers then saw it fit to move to a place where they will be a nuisance to the government and visible for people to see them from the road because it became apparent to them that they were neglected by both government and Kenyans. They have been living in Wiyumiririe for a month now, and the District Officer whose office is adjacent to the camp has not addressed them.

The settlers have limited access to basic amenities in the camp. Their children attend a school near the camp, but have no uniforms, textbooks, exercise books and mostly miss classes since they find it difficult to go to school with an empty stomach.

The School kids presenting a song

Access to health care services is another challenge facing the settlers because there is no government hospital in the proximity of the camp and the private hospital is too expensive. They also lack access to and information on contraceptive methods and women who are pregnant in the camp cannot access post-natal care facilities and further give birth in the tents with the help other women. Like food, water also is a scarce resource in the camp, and the people have to walk over forty kilometers to get water.

However, despite the above, the settlers have established systems within the camp that help maintain peace amongst themselves. For instance, drinking of alcohol or any other stimulant is completely prohibited and in the event of a dispute, the elders are asked to resolve the dispute. They also have a strong sense of belonging among themselves, sharing whatever food, and water in their possession at any particular time. They fellowship together under the leadership of a pastor in the camp who helps the community maintain a positive outlook despite their challenges. 

Six years after the eruption of violence in the country, the settlers are quite bitter of their status as internally displaced persons. The level of neglect by the government has made the people very desperate they would consider moving to another country if it would improve their situations. Nevertheless, their options are quite limited and they can only wait for the government, even if it means, waiting seven more years.