The government’s move to close the Jamhuri Park Camp where thousands of families who had been displaced due to post-election violence have been residing has left a trail of tears and sorrow. 

Majority of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), particularly women and children, have no options where to go or to start re-building their shattered lives.

As the announcement to close the camp was relayed to them, panic gripped the camp. Many could be seen discussing in small groups, pondering on the next move.

Only the children seemed oblivious of the huge problems facing them: many were playing happily as the adults wondered where to move to.

 “Where are we expected to go? We have seen them peel-off the skin of other people with crude pangas, what security are they talking about?’’ poses an angry 16-year-old Najib who has been living at Jamhuri camp for the last three weeks.

Najib is one of the over 300,000 people displaced in most parts of the country in the wake of the post-election violence.

“Our houses have been occupied by other people, let them evict those intruders first before they start telling us anything to do with closing the camp,’’ said Paul, a father of five.

The government announcement has come at a time when there are serious questions of who among those receiving aid is truly an internally displaced person.

“During the night there are very few people, just above 1,000, but day-time the number soars to 3, 000,” complains a Red Cross volunteer.

“Where do people go at night if there are no houses,” posed the volunteer. 

Defending herself against these claims, Rose Achieng’ ,a mother of three from Kianda-Kibera, said that her one and a half year old son was asthmatic and could not spend the night in the open at the park.

“I’m not angry with the issue of closure. But we request if can be supplied with food for at least one month as we stabilize,” she added.

Although the news of closing the camp sent shock-waves across the camp, there are those who were not surprised by the move.

“I knew I was not going to stay here forever. I`ll go back to Kibera and get killed if that’s what they want,’’ said a visibly annoyed Agnes Wairimu, who is expecting her third child.

Standing next to her, Beatrice Mutinda, a mother of two, interjected: “Unlike most of the people, I won’t lie that my house was burnt. Only what I need is food.”

For other people at the camp, they are ready to travel to their rural homes if they can be given money to do so.

“Instead of going back to Kibera, I better go back to my rural home where I can live in peace. But the question, who will feed me there?” wonders Priscilla Ndinda, IDPs.

But for those who were born and bred in Kibera, they have no other option. They claim if their security is assured, they can go back to their homes.

“Some of us wash clothes for the rich at Ksh 150, which is enough to put food on the table,’’ said Jane Salame , a mother of three.

Even as these people were seriously c0onsidering moving, others sent signals that they were here to stay. 

With a hammer in one hand and a nail in the other, Tom and his brother are busy expanding the place they have come to call their home.

“We now live a day at a time. Even if they have announced that we leave, that does not mean I fail to enjoy a good night sleep? If they come tomorrow and kick us out, we shall leave?’’ said Tom Omondi, a father of two.

“I have a house and even rented a few, but there is no way my family and I are going back to the jaws of death,’’ adds James Kiragu , a father of four.

What one gathers from these views is that some of these IDPs in Nairobi have houses. But they were worried stiff about two things: insecurity and lack of food.

For now, those at the camp have been moving frantically up and down the camp, pleading with relief agencies to register them as displaced person who are completely homeless. Even some plead with the journalist journalists present to do so, thinking they are from one of the big relief agencies or organizations that deal with refuges.

(Some of the interviewees been identified by only one name to avoid inflaming the situation as people may attribute the actions to certain communities).

An AWC Feature 

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