dc.description.abstract |
Internal displacements in Africa and Kenya in particular have
become a common phenomenon. These have had multiple causes ranging
from ethnic conflict, inter clan conflicts, cattle rustling, floods, earth quakes
and politically instigated tensions and conflicts. However, of the many
causes of internal displacements the most common and notable is the
politically instigated conflict as it is perennial, occurring after most elections
since the re-introduction of multi-party politics. Such displacements occurred
in 1992 and 1997, the worst being the post election violence of 2007 and
2008 following the disputed presidential elections. Therefore, the purpose of
this paper is to investigate the challenges to integration of internally
displaced persons (IDPs) in Kenya with reference to Uasin Gishu District.
The study adopted a survey research design. The target population was
31,189 IDPs in camps, the “host” community who were 289,380, 5
government officers and 5 NGOs giving assistance to IDPs. From these
target populations a sample of 100 IDPS in camps, 100 members of the host
community, 5 provincial administration officials and 5 representatives of
NGOs were drawn using cluster sampling, simple random sampling, transect
walk and census sampling. The data were collected using questionnaires and
interviews. The quantitative data collected was analyzed descriptively while
qualitative data was analyzed using the five thematic steps. The study found
out that the main challenges to integration of the IDPS included lack of
economic resources, the host community being unfriendly and fluctuating
political temperatures at the national and local levels. The study recommends
that the process of resettlement and integration of IDPs should be hastened,
peace and reconciliation be a continuous process, to ensure that IDPs are
economically integrated, they should be given economic support and that all
actors should be included in the re-settlement and integration process |
en_US |