DCC David Saruni leading an exercise of food distribution to residents in Saku following ethnic clash. Photo: Marsabit County.
311 families of ethnic conflict refugees in Saku constituency have benefited from food assistance from the central government.
Speaking while witnessing the feeding exercise for the refugees, Marsabit Central Deputy Commissioner David Saruni said that the government cares about the interests of the refugees and will ensure that they receive the same services as other Kenyans.
Saruni added that the food distribution exercise included all refugees from four camps that have been identified by the government in Marsabit County.
“We are here today to distribute food to the families of those affected by the clashes. Each family comes from different Manyatta from Salewako, Gabbra scheme among others, and where here to deliver the relief from the national government, where each family is receiving 10kg rice and 5kg rice,” Saruni said.
Saruni further said that the government has also put in place strategies to repatriate these refugees, promising them that security will be further strengthened.
“There has been a challenge people posing as IDPs yet they have not been identified by the government. I urge those IDPs not identified by government to come forward, because we have the information of those Manyattas mentioned. On relocation to national reserves, that is ruled out and the boundaries have been marked by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and should remain as stipulated until further review,” he cautioned.
Saruni has also warned about the creation of new settlements that the government has no information about, saying that this will contribute to the ethnic wars that have been witnessed in the state in recent years.
“Those new settlements have history of bring conflicts between communities yet they are a reserve and resource of the national government. It should be clear that a reserve of the nation is protected by the law so people should have an understanding of the landmarks and stop encroaching into them ,” he further advised.
Saruni’s remarks come after a tug-of-war was witnessed between some residents of the Saku parliamentary constituency and the wildlife agency where these residents fled their homes and sought refuge in the national park near the Segel area last week, a situation in which KWS and the security department were able to take action to evict these residents.
