Kenya gives $8M to thousands displaced by poll violence

By Magdalene Mukami

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Kenya’s president on Tuesday gave around 800 million Kenya shillings ($8 million) compensation to people internally displaced by post-election violence that claimed thousands of lives in southwestern Kenya.

After handing over 358 million Kenya shillings ($3.5 million) to thousands who were affected by post-election violence in 2007-2008, Uhuru Kenyatta will meet another group of integrated Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) tomorrow in Nyamira in Kisii County to give the remaining 472 million Kenya shillings ($4.72 million).

"With the money we have handed over, we have finally taken care of the last groups of IDPs in Kisii," said Kenyatta, urging locals to vote peacefully during this year’s general elections and not allow politicians to sway them to violence.

"We do not want politics that would create IDPs again. That should be a thing of the past. To my opponents, let us not incite Kenyans. Sell your agenda but do not pit Kenyans against each other," he said.

Recent Kenyan elections have been marred by killings, particularly in 2007 when dozens of men, women, and children were burned alive in a church and others were killed by machete-wielding gangs.