Mai Mahiu floods victims resettlement hits a snag

Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja (centre) flanked by victims of the Mai Mahiu floods tragedy addresses the Press in Naivasha over their delayed resettlement. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

Families displaced by floods that killed 60 people in Mai Mahiu, Nakuru county, are languishing in misery despite promises by the government to resettle them.

The exercise has hit a snag because of differences over the value of land.

The victims and government officials had identified more than 120 acres of land, where 56 families displaced by the floods in April 2024 would be resettled.

Naivasha MP Jane Kihara said the owners of the land were selling an acre at Sh1.2 million, but the government officers had valued the land at Sh600,000.

Ms Kihara said that the government had set aside Sh250 million for the planned resettlement but the impasse has delayed the exercise.

“As it stands, we are back to square one, as the landowners won’t come down on the prices while the government has stuck to its guns,” she said.

The MP termed the standoff a blow to families living in rented houses with no source of livelihood after the floods swept away their property.

The victims’ chairperson Ann Njeri said that many families were going through physical and mental torture due to the delayed resettlement.

Njeri alleged threats by government officials whenever they raise their voices over the resettlement.

“Some families are yet to recover the bodies of their loved ones, minors have dropped from school and others are contemplating suicide due to the harsh economic times,” she said.

Speaking to The Standard on phone she said: “The leaders who are supposed to be making policies to resettle these victims have politicised the issue but the government will keep its promise.”

Earlier, Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja promised to present a petition to the Senate to intervene over the resettlement of the victims.

“During the memorial service, the Governor had come up with a budget to assist the victims. The county had set aside funds for disaster management plus funds for addressing the El Nino rains and this could come in handy in resettling these families,” she said.