The state has not responded in a case filed at Milimani law courts by 7,000 internally displaced persons from Nyamira and Kisii counties.
When the matter came for hearing today before judge Hedwig Imbosa Ong’udi, he directed the state to put in their response by November 24, 2021 when the matter will be heard.
The IDPS were expecting the judgement because the matter had been concluded by Judge Weldon Korir who is on transfer.
Ong’udi has taken over from Korir and he now says that he wants to hear the application before delivering judgement.
The matter has been pending in courts for over 13 years. The IDPs sued the state in 2017 over unpaid compensation.
The aggrieved IDPs led by Rev Nenwel Momanyi claim that Interior CS Fred Matiang’i and PS Karanja Kibicho have refused to compensate them.
Momanyi said he has been moving from one court to another to represent his people in vain.
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 and we travel from Kisii to Nairobi to listen to the case every time it is being heard,” Momanyi said.
The condition was someone signs 50,000 but not the amount was granted, instead they will return with 40,000 and give only 10,000.
“I believe that in all the years we have been in court for 13 years, we are going to get justice, “added Momanyi.
He pleaded with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to follow up the matter.
They are seeking to have those who illegally received the money arrested and prosecuted. They said the money was paid to boda boda riders and other non-IDPs.
On June 6, 2017, President Uhuru Kenyatta released Sh 358 million for the compensation of IDPs in Kisii county.
The President later handed over another Sh 472 million to displaced people in Nyamira. Uhuru said the beneficiaries were the last batch of people displaced by the violence.
They are now confident that they will attain justice soon.
The matter will be heard on October 24, 2021.
