Compensation over for poll victims- Govt

The government has ruled out future compensation and allocation of land to victims of the 2007-2008 post-election violence.

Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru said the government had already settled genuine Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in transitional camps adding that those claiming to be IDPs now would not be compensated or given land.

The Devolution CS stated that the government was using the records of registered IDPs affected by the post polls chaos noting it would be difficult to ensure further compensation for more victims.

Waiguru said the government has already resettled over 8,000 victims who were affected by the post-election violence.

“I can assure Kenyans that we have resettled everyone who was in the government data. We also compensated them with between Kshs. 10,000 and Sh 25,000,” she said. 

 She noted that over 10,000 victims were claiming to be integrated and paying them would mean that the Government spends over three hundred billion.

“The issue has now become complex and we cannot afford to pay each and every person who was affected in any way or another. It would mean that we spend a lot of money which the government cannot afford currently,” she said.

Waiguru said that there were a lot of people who were claiming to be genuine IDPs and yet they were not affected.

“They come to my office each and every day claiming that they were affected and need to be resettled. The number is overwhelming and all what we can do is to give them comfort and help them restart their lives,” she said.

The Cabinet Secretary was speaking in Ol-Kalou town when she paid a courtesy call on Nyandarua County Governor Daniel Waithaka.