Displaced families camp at the Afraha stadium in Nakuru following post-election violence in 2008. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Summary
- ICC did a shoddy job, says Owegi from Kisumu.
- It is all history and we should now preach peace and reconciliation. Let’s move on, says Githuku from Kiambaa.
- I ask the government to rebuild the Kiambaa church that was burnt down by unknown assailants killing 33 people, says Gathuku fron Jasho Farm.
We are happy that DP and Sang are free but they should not forget us, they say.
Joseph Githuku — Kiambaa
“As
a victim of the violence, I sincerely thank God for hearing my cry. My
heart is at peace now that the cases have been thrown out. I wish Deputy
President William Ruto and Joshua Arap Sang the very best. I lost my
wife and son who were burnt to death in the Kiambaa Kenya Assemblies of
God Church attack where they had gone to seek shelter at the height of
the violence. I have since forgiven the attackers.
It is all history and we should now preach peace and reconciliation. Let’s move on.”
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Margaret Gathuku - IDPs chairperson, Jasho Farm (Ngeria)
“I’m
overwhelmed with joy following the dismissal of the case against our
Deputy President and Joshua Sang. There has been peace and with this
development, I believe all be well. I lost all my property when my house
was burnt down. However, I am satisfied with the ICC decision and my
appeal is that the government should embark on compensating people like
me who are yet to be resettled now that the issue is behind us.
I also ask the government to rebuild the Kiambaa church that was burnt down by unknown assailants killing 33 people.”
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
John Kariuki - Chairman, IDPs, Kimure Farm (Ngeria)
“We
thank God and the ICC for the decision that was made. Our leaders have
been vindicated and as victims, we are satisfied. The government should
compensate us now. My house was burnt down and I lost everything
including 60 bags of maize. We have heard in the media that some IDPs
were compensated and we wonder who these IDPs were because we seem to
have been left out. My prayer was that the cases be dropped and now that
it has happened, we are asking the government to compensate us so we
can start life afresh.”
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Francis Biu - Burnt Forest
“I’m
glad the ICC issue is now behind us. God has finally answered our
prayers. We are now optimistic that the Rift Valley region which was
hardest hit by the violence will experience peace and development.
I thank God for the judges who made the decision that DP Ruto and Mr Sang had no case to answer. We say thank you.
I
lost everything including my house, over 100 bags of maize, six cows
and 25 sheep. Over 200 trees on my farm at Kagongo were cut down. My
shop was also razed down by unknown people. I want the government to
compensate me."
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Nemwel Momanyi –Nyamira
The
government has forgotten us. Gangs raped my daughter and wife when they
stormed out home in Nyagacho, Kericho County where we had lived for
more than three decades yet nothing has been done.
Many
IDPs were send to a cathedral in Kisii town and others in Keroka. Some
camps were ordered closed in a suspicious manners the IDPS integrated
into their families without any compensation. We have been denied
justice. We will be happy if he can now speed up our compensation. Life
is unbearable for those who were displaced. The violence left widows,
orphans and many other people were tortured. We need to get our lives
back.”
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Mr Nelson Owegi- Kisumu
"ICC
prosecutor Luis-Moreno Ocampo did a shoddy job in the Ruto-Sang case.
The dismissal of the case is a delay for justice to the victims of the
violence. The DP should visit this region and see for himself. We want
compensation.
We have been following
The Hague process keenly and we realised the prosecution did not carry
out enough investigations. As a result of the violence, most of us have
been unable to get back to our feet. Some of our family members have
died while a majority are languishing in poverty. Mr Ruto should focus
on compensating Nyanza IDPs now that charges against him have been
dropped.”
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Musa Mbuthia –Nakuru
"As
we welcome the victory for Deputy President and Mr Joshua Sang, we want
the government to intervene and end court cases derailing our
resettlement on land we were allocated. We also want the government to
compensate us as it did other IDPs. We were given only Sh10,000 per
household and we now fear we may not get anything more now that the ICC
cases have been closed.”
• • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Francis Kago -Nyandarua
“We
are asking the government to set us free as well by compensating and
resettling us so we can lead normal lives, only then will we feel
justice has been done. We are happy with the ICC decision to terminate
the case against Mr Ruto and Mr Sang. However, we still feel the need to
get justice.
The DP has been in the
forefront resettling IDPs and he should now remember those who have
been forgotten like us. We want the Sh400,000 and land that others were
given.”
Samburu North MP Alois Lentoimanga said the president’s tribulations at ICC were as a result of political incitement.
He urged the government to ensure victims are fully compensated and resettled in the Sh 10 billion plan.
No comments:
Post a Comment