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"speaker_name": "Mr. Ngugi",
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"legal_name": "David Mwaniki Ngugi",
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the following Motion of Adjournment under Standing Order No.20(1):- THAT, this House adjourns to discuss a matter of national importance concerning the plight of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are all aware about the IDPs. But for the record, may I just state that they came about as a result of the disputed last General Election in 2007. Violence erupted in various parts of the country. Brother turned against brother, neighbour against neighbour, people who were going to the same church turned against fellow members of the same church and people left their homes. Right now, many of them are either in camps or living with other Kenyans elsewhere. I want to say that the IDPs situation may have had partly to do with the elections and many other underlying grievances. But where the IDPs found themselves is not their fault. Their only fault was to go on 27th December, 2007 and vote for their preferred candidates. They exercised their fundamental rights. Those IDPs are spread all over the country. They are in Kisii, Kisumu, Rift Valley and Nyandarua. They comprise farmers, teachers and other workers whose lives were disrupted. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, those IDPs have and are still undergoing a lot of suffering. The ones in camps do not have enough water. In fact, they have no water! They do not have enough food and they are struggling with diseases. Some of them are suffering from HIV/AIDS and other diseases and yet, they cannot get access to medical attention. Mothers are delivering in those camps. Children are not able to go to school because they are not in their previous schools. Those people are our own Kenyans. They are not engaged in any gainful activity. They are not contributing to the wealth creation of this country. That has even become a humanitarian issue. During the negotiations between PNU and ODM, one of the things that was agreed upon as early as 4th February, 2008, was, and I quote: \"To ensure that assistance is given to the affected communities and individuals and make sure that they return to their homes!\" Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, following the public announcements that were made by both the Prime Minister and the President, they all anchored on returning these Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their homes. To date, this has not happened. Instead these Kenyans who have no fault and who are trying to lead us to see their plight continue to languish in these camps. This is the reason why I am appealing to this House and my fellow hon. Members to act like other Kenyans out there. They should empathise with the plight of these IDPs. We should also remove politics from the suffering of these people and to facilitate quick resettlement of these people who were so traumatised. Some of them saw their kinsmen, children and mothers butchered. They cannot even go back. There are those who also went back to harvest, but they were killed. So, their relatives cannot dare go back. Such people should be settled elsewhere. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, secondly, I am asking this House to see to it that the Government compensates all these IDPs, whether they were in business and their businesses were burnt down and they are not operating as we would do in insurance, my former profession. We, as a country and Government, have a duty to resettle these IDPs in the same places they were before the elections. 638 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 23, 2008 Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am appealing that enough security be provided to these IDPs, so that when they return to their homes, they are not butchered again and will be able to continue with their lives. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am appealing to all hon. Members in this House to take a step further and see to it that we reconcile all Kenyans and live as brothers and sisters. They should not continue butchering one another. With those few remarks, I beg to move and invite Mr. Wamalwa to second the Motion."
}