Resettlement Of Internally Displaced Persons In Kenya: A Case Of Rongai, Nakuru County 2008 – 2016.

Abstract

The end of 20th century witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of intractable civil wars leading to massive displacement of persons. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in camps lack access to adequate shelter, food, healthcare and means of livelihoods enduring a life of bleakness and hopelessness. Resettlement of IDPs is an exercise that seeks to alleviate both the short term humanitarian needs of IDPs and provide long term durable solutions. It is expected that after resettlement, IDPs are able to re-establish their livelihoods and are able to sustainably attain their basic needs. However, challenges faced during and after resettlement often times renders such processes inadequate and ineffective. This study is an evaluation of one such resettlement program in Rongai, Nakuru County in Kenya. The study was guided by two objectives. One, to examine the resettlement of IDPs in Rongai Sub-County and two, to examine the challenges facing the resettlement and the coping mechanism adopted by the resettled IDPs. The study tested two hypotheses. One, that the government of Kenya resettled IDPs in Rongai Sub-County and two, that there are challenges that faced the resettlement of IDPs in Rongai Sub-County. The study was grounded on the Basic Human Needs Theory. The theory argues that conflicts are inevitable when human needs are not met and that individuals and groups revert to conflict when they don’t have any other way to meet their needs. The study utilized both primary and secondary sources of data. The researcher used purposive sampling method and snowballing technique to identify respondents interviewed with a question guide. The data collected was analyzed qualitatively and presented in narrative a form. The study argues that while the government of Kenya designed and implemented several initiatives aimed at addressing the plight of IDPs, the resettlement process was hampered by a myriad of challenges that impacted negatively on the overall sufficiency and effectiveness of the process. The study also found out that the resettled IDPs have developed several coping strategies to deal with the challenges that they face after their resettlement.