- In June 2017, President Uhuru Kenyatta released Sh358 million for the compensation of IDPs in Kisii.
- The President later handed over another Sh472 million to displaced people in Nyamira.
Image: COURTESY
A compensation case spanning 13 years in which 7,000 Nyamira IDPs sued the government may soon be concluded.
This is after Justice Hedwig Imbosa Ong’udi on Wednesday said she will deliver the judgement on notice early next year.
The aggrieved IDPs led by Rev Nenwel Momanyi, said they are seeking Sh450,000 each from the state as compensation.
Momanyi said the matter has been pending in courts for 13 years and that he has been moving from one court to another to represent his people in vain.
In the petition, the IDPs have sued the Nyamira County Commissioner, KCB bank manager Nyamira and James Evans who they said purports to be the IDPs chairman in the area.
The group also has another suit in court against Interior CS Fred Matiang’i and PS Karanja Kibicho claiming they have refused to compensate them.
The state is yet to respond in this suit.
On October 12, 2021, the judge directed the state to put in their response by November 24, 2021, when the matter would be heard.
The IDPs were expecting the judgement because the matter had been handled in the absence of the state response by judge Weldon Korir who was transferred.
Momanyi said in the court papers said they have also attempted to present their petition to the Senate and National Assembly in vain.
“Instead of us, it was non-IDPs who were compensated while we travel from Kisii to Nairobi to listen to the case every time it is being heard,” Momanyi said.
“I hope we get justice for the 13 years we have been in court,” he said.
He urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, KNCHR and the DCI to follow up on the matter.
They are seeking to have those who illegally received the money arrested and prosecuted.
They claim the money was paid to boda boda riders and other non-IDPs.
In June 2017, President Uhuru Kenyatta released Sh358 million for the compensation of IDPs in Kisii.
The President later handed over another Sh472 million to displaced people in Nyamira.
Uhuru said the beneficiaries were the last batch of people displaced by the violence.
-Edited by SKanyara