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{
    "id": 78227,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/78227/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 247,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "31 Wednesday, 10th November, 2010(A) Ms. A. Abdalla",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Thank you very much, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I wish to join my colleagues in congratulating the Mover of this Motion because this is the first comprehensive approach to this problem. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, this Motion does not only deal with the need to meet and come up with realities in relation to the issues regarding the matter of compensation to IDPs. So, I am very happy that for once, we are going to have an investigatory approach to the matter and bring to closure the matters regarding financial impropriety in compensating the IDPs. I am equally happy that it has gone further than the piecemeal approaches that all IDP situations in this country, including the 1997 and 1992 situations have been flagged by. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I was in this House in the last Parliament when we passed not less than three Motions on resettling the 1992 and 1997 IDPs. Some work was done in that area, but it was done in so much secrecy and not many lessons seem to have been learnt from the past. I am saying so because there was accusation regarding the resettlement in the Parliament; that the price of the land that was bought was inflated. We are hearing the same with the current approaches of resettling the IDPs. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am supporting this Motion and urging Members of the Committee proposed in this Motion to go further than dealing with the piecemeal issues and address the question of resettlement in a wider approach. I am happy that they have clearly stated that they will be dealing with issues of policy and institution. It is my belief that the reason we have not been able to resettle the current IDPs for the last three years is because we are dealing with it as an emergency situation and have no guidelines that are advising us on the way forward. I want to give a critical example that has been used with the current IDPs, that is discouraged under international good practice. International good practice of durable solutions of resettling IDPs and refugees says that you should not have financial compensation without a full durable solution package. This means that if you are telling somebody to go back to their house and it was destroyed, giving them Kshs35,000 will not build them back that house. So, the practice of giving cash is discouraged by international good practice all over the world. You only give cash to displaced persons who are in business. You do not give cash to a person who has to buy a roof, food and take their children back to school. You have to give them a comprehensive package, which in international good practice, is called durable solution to resettling displaced persons. So, it is my view that unless we review the policies governing the process of resettling IDPs, we will not move forward. I am extremely happy that this Motion will go deeper. It is my view that lack of policies and institutions and the fact that the Government has not looked at the issue of resettlement as a specialized area--- There is a joke going inside and outside the House that those in charge of the IDP programmes are themselves mostly Internally Displaced Politicians. In a way, these are candidates who failed in---"
}