The final batch of Kenya internal refugees started the journey to their new homes Friday after the government acquired thousands of acres of land to resettle them.
A statement from the government announced that the Ministry of Lands had bought 8,323 acres of land to resettle the 6,802 people still living in tents after they were forced out of their homes at the height of the post election violence early last year.
The statement, signed by Internal Security Permanent Secretary Francis Kimemia, said that each of the 3,500 families would get two acres. But families to be resettled in low potential areas would get a maximum of four acres each, the statement announced.
The resettlement programme started as the two-week deadline set by President Kibaki for all the nineteen camps still hosting IDPs to be closed ends.
They have been living in camps since last year’s violence that killed 1,300 people and displaced 650,000 after a disputed election.
According to the statement, the IDPs moving out of the camps would start getting their pieces of land as early as next Wednesday.
“The over congested Mawingu camp will be the first to be resettled. Tomorrow (Friday), the leaders and other people from Mawingu camp will be shown the identified farms in readiness for the resettlement,” Mr Kimemia outlined.
The Ministry of Finance had availed a total of Sh2 billion to cater for the purchase of land and resettlement of the IDPs. The bulk of the funds – Sh1.4 billion – was used to purchase 35 parcels of land totalling 8,323 acres and valued at Sh850 million.
The government will use the balance of Sh550 million to purchase an extra 10,000 acres of land to resettle more people.
DAILY NATION
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