Reprieve as State resettles IDPs

By OSINDE OBARE

It was an early Christmas gift for 116 displaced families in Trans-Nzoia County when the Government finally resettled them on a 300-acre piece of land.

The IDPs had been camping at a farm owned by the family of late President Jomo Kenyatta.

The families were moved from Patwaka farm in Saboti constituency to Bonde in Cherangany constituency despite growing concern from the host communities.

The 700-acre Patwaka farm has been secured by the Government for resettlement of families from Mt Elgon District.

Trans-Nzoia County Commissioner, Charity Chepkonga, led the local security committee to oversee the resettlement.

The families were ferried in hired buses to their homes and were provided with tents before the construction of houses by the Government.

Chepkonga said the families would be allocated two-and-a-quarter acres each on the land near Kabolet forest.

A beneficiary, Anna Tamoi, a mother of 10 could not hide her joy when she was driven to ‘Promised Land’ without anticipated resistance from locals.

“I’m happy that our host communities have received us well and we promise to live with them in harmony,” said Tamoi.

She tearfully narrated the tribulations she has encountered living without land to grow food for her family. “Indeed this is an early Christmas gift from our government. We now have a place to call home and I will use the land to fend for my family,” she excitedly said.

Chepkonga urged the IDPs to embrace peace to enhance peaceful co-existence with the host community.

“Ensure you work in harmony and co-exist with neighbours to achieve development and improve livelihood,” the commissioner told the families.

She pledged that the Government would supply them with food until they are stable and self-reliant.