APRM • SECOND COUNTRY REVIEW REPORT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA
Table 4: Summary of major displacement statistics
Cause of displacement
Year
Population
affected
Source
2011
100,000 persons
Kenya Red Cross Society
Forest evictions
2002-2009
7,527 families
Government of Kenya
Post-election violence
2007/2008
600,000 persons
Government of Kenya
Flooding, cattle rustling,
development projects
1997-2007
300,000 persons
UNOCHA
Political violence
1997-2007
380,000 persons
UNOCHA
Floods 2011
Political violence
1992-1993
300,000 persons
Source: Kenya National Human Rights Commission 2011
UNDP, IDMC, KHRC
260.
According to Red Cross estimates in January 2008, there were 331 spontaneous IDP sites
located in the Rift Valley, Western, Nyanza and Nairobi Provinces.36 These figures presented
serious challenges for government and required medium to long-term resource and policy
measures. By 2010 all IDPszzzvz camps relating to victims of the post-election violence
of 2008 had closed. Challenges arose from the integration of IDPs into other communities
outside of designated areas and camps; without effective determination of their numbers
for planning and programming purposes, these IDPs live in difficult circumstances. Concerns
around the registration and vetting process of claimants as well as delays in vetting and
resettling IDPs have been a source of discontent. In the 2015/2016 financial year, the
government allocated Ksh 1.2 billion to cater for final resettlement of IDPs and to provide
social protection for the displaced persons categorized as ‘disadvantaged’.
261.
Even as old IDP issues are being resolved, new ones arise. Between 2009 and 2010, efforts
by government in Northern Kenya to disarm pastoralist communities and defuse clashes
between various ethnic communities saw more waves of displacement occur. Settler
communities in the Mau East and West forest were evicted in 2009 to protect one of the
five water towers and to prevent environmental degradation; however some communities
faced challenges with resettlement, as these had been their ancestral homes. At the time
of the review, Kenya was facing a severe drought that had affected pastoralist communities
in the arid and semi-arid land, causing some nomadic communities to relocate. A conflict
arose between Borana and Gabra communities of Moyale in 2011-2012 resulting in more
than 10,000 IDPs. These are some examples of the complex problems continually resulting
in IDPs in Kenya.
262.
Government has made several efforts to respond to the plight of IDPs. The Prevention,
Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons and Affected Communities
Act No. 56 of 2012 is a rights based responsive law that goes beyond individual needs
and assistance to collective groups. The Community Land Bill, 2013 seeks to promote
recognition, protection, management and administration of community land and to guide
the county governments’ powers in relation to unregistered community land. The Evictions
and Resettlement Bill 2014 intends to provide procedures for evictions of unauthorized
occupants from private or public land and the resettlement of displaced persons that
involuntary displaced.
36
UNHCR Supplementary Appeal for Internally Displaced Persons in Kenya 2008
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