More than 250,000 victims of the 2007 post-election violence who are yet to be compensated have appealed to President William Ruto to intervene and fast-track the compensation process.
On Wednesday, President Ruto pledged KSh 18 million to support the resettlement of victims in Nakuru County.
Through their lobby group, the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Network, the victims expressed deep frustration over what they termed as government inaction despite having fulfilled all requirements for compensation.
“We have met all the requirements set by the government and submitted our details for compensation, but we are yet to receive any support,” said Raphael Eyanai, the group’s coordinator.
Mr. Eyanai noted that the group had followed due process and even presented several follow-up petitions to various task forces through the National consultative coordinating commitee, but their efforts have not yielded results.
“We submitted our grievances to the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC), the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), and most recently, the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO),” he added.
The victims acknowledged that while the government has compensated some affected families, a significant number remain excluded from the resettlement and compensation programs.
“The government promised to resettle those who were evicted from their lands. Many of us lost everything and continue to suffer in silence,” said Stanley Njehia, one of the displaced persons.
The IDPs Network is now urging the government to widen its scope of support to include all verified victims and fulfill its long-standing pledge to deliver justice and restitution for those affected by the 2007–2008 post-election violence.