“Refugees are not born but created by states, individuals and groups.” once said Sadako Ogata, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The vast majority of refugees are driven from their homes by human rights abuses; persecution, rape, torture, killings and the reprehensible practice of ethnic cleansing.
Kenyan refuges in Mulanda Transit Centre and else where are not far less than this; they were driven off from their homes by the post election violence since December last year. Over 2,500 of Kenyan citizens now live in the refugee camps and bout 40,000 are internally displaced according to United Nation Office website in Geneva
While refugees from such countries as Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan and former Yugoslavia were victims of armed conflicts or civil war, refugees from Kenya were forced to leave their country not because of civil war or foreign intervention but because of the ethnic clashes of the ruling minority by the ruled majority said to be mastered minded by undercover politicians, cultural and religious leaders.
For over a month now, the media has carried stories saying the ruling minority ‘Kikuyu’ have become victims of the anti government ethnic cleansing machinery managed by highly organised street and village gangs.
Last week (Monday January 11, 2008,) the Kenyan Home Minister for Special Programmes, Dr. Naomi Shaban, while on her first tour to try downplaying the ethnic security situation in Kenya and try woo refugees to start returning back home hit a snag at Mulanda transit centre.
Naomi was booed down by mainly Kikuyu refugees when she took the podium to react to refugees memorandum read by one Peter Karanja. She said calm had returned to some parts of the western province following a heavy deployment of Kenyan security personnel.
But one refugee shot up and shouted in Kiswahili amidst a loud up roar “Madam Minister, can you tell us the truth about the security situation at home since more refugees are being continually brought here”.
Naomi instead insisted that the situation had relatively improved and there was no need to fear returning back home. “In Busia Kenya for instance, the situation has normalized. Some of you who stay along the border can start going back home.” She added before she was again interrupted with a loud boo.
Visibly infuriated home Minister said “even if you boo me down that won’t help, facts on ground to confirm this, the decision is yours. Those who feel they want to come back home can do so. If you still feel it’s much safer in the camp, that’s okay. We are not going to force any body to return home.”
As if this was not enough, Mzee John Njoroge Wanaina, 69, watered down the Minister assurance using just single one statement, “I recently witnessed gangs burn houses and loot property before the Kenyan police at Marachi, in Busia-Kenya district. “The police only shoot in the air after the damage was done. So do you mean to say you have reshuffled these policemen too for our safety?”
But Naomi apparently not wanting to concede defeat, she waved off the question by saying, at present; there was little the Kenyan Government can do to help them out since they are under the custody of the United Nations High Commission of the Refugees (UNHCR) and the Ugandan Government.
It was again clear that the Kenyan government was failing to dissolve the structure it bred among ago, what if president Mwai resigned would they return back?
Kenyan refuges in Mulanda Transit Centre and else where are not far less than this; they were driven off from their homes by the post election violence since December last year. Over 2,500 of Kenyan citizens now live in the refugee camps and bout 40,000 are internally displaced according to United Nation Office website in Geneva
While refugees from such countries as Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan and former Yugoslavia were victims of armed conflicts or civil war, refugees from Kenya were forced to leave their country not because of civil war or foreign intervention but because of the ethnic clashes of the ruling minority by the ruled majority said to be mastered minded by undercover politicians, cultural and religious leaders.
For over a month now, the media has carried stories saying the ruling minority ‘Kikuyu’ have become victims of the anti government ethnic cleansing machinery managed by highly organised street and village gangs.
Last week (Monday January 11, 2008,) the Kenyan Home Minister for Special Programmes, Dr. Naomi Shaban, while on her first tour to try downplaying the ethnic security situation in Kenya and try woo refugees to start returning back home hit a snag at Mulanda transit centre.
Naomi was booed down by mainly Kikuyu refugees when she took the podium to react to refugees memorandum read by one Peter Karanja. She said calm had returned to some parts of the western province following a heavy deployment of Kenyan security personnel.
But one refugee shot up and shouted in Kiswahili amidst a loud up roar “Madam Minister, can you tell us the truth about the security situation at home since more refugees are being continually brought here”.
Naomi instead insisted that the situation had relatively improved and there was no need to fear returning back home. “In Busia Kenya for instance, the situation has normalized. Some of you who stay along the border can start going back home.” She added before she was again interrupted with a loud boo.
Visibly infuriated home Minister said “even if you boo me down that won’t help, facts on ground to confirm this, the decision is yours. Those who feel they want to come back home can do so. If you still feel it’s much safer in the camp, that’s okay. We are not going to force any body to return home.”
As if this was not enough, Mzee John Njoroge Wanaina, 69, watered down the Minister assurance using just single one statement, “I recently witnessed gangs burn houses and loot property before the Kenyan police at Marachi, in Busia-Kenya district. “The police only shoot in the air after the damage was done. So do you mean to say you have reshuffled these policemen too for our safety?”
But Naomi apparently not wanting to concede defeat, she waved off the question by saying, at present; there was little the Kenyan Government can do to help them out since they are under the custody of the United Nations High Commission of the Refugees (UNHCR) and the Ugandan Government.
It was again clear that the Kenyan government was failing to dissolve the structure it bred among ago, what if president Mwai resigned would they return back?
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