The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) expressed concern over the government’s resettlement plan for families impacted by the Mai Mahiu dam tragedy. The commission urged transparency and criticized the government’s actions, claiming they forced families from camps into temporary rentals without a permanent solution.
This follows the closure of the last two camps housing the victims. The government offered three months’ rent, but some families refused this arrangement.
Odour stated that one month after the incident, some victims were forced to return to their damaged houses, while others were relocated to rental houses. He further said that there were allegations of tampering with the list of victims by administrators, with genuine families being excluded.
The commission, he added, had filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for the affected families following the tragedy caused by a water formation burst in Old Kijabe area.
Eunice Wanjiru, one of the victims whose house was damaged, reported that her family was omitted from the list of beneficiaries despite losing all their belongings. Naftali Gikonyo echoed this sentiment, expressing uncertainty about their resettlement after the closure of the camps and the relocation of families to rental houses.
“The government said they had allocated Ksh.300 million for our resettlement, but no one is discussing it now, and we are wondering what will happen next,” Gikonyo stated.
Mary Muthoni, who lost eight family members, reported arriving home from the hospital to find her family had been moved to a rental house in Mai Mahiu Town.
