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30,000 Displaced in Mt Elgon Area

The East African Standard (Nairobi)
NEWS
February 13, 2007
Posted to the web February 13, 2007

By James Ratemo And Isaiah Lucheli
Nairobi
Over 31,200 people have been displaced in Mt Elgon District since the onset of
the ongoing land clashes late last year, as religious leaders protested over
the Government's handling of the situation.
The Kenya Red Cross Society Public Relations Officer, Mr Anthony Mwangi, also
told The Standard that the death toll has now increased to about 60 with an
average of one per day.
Mwangi said despite the deployment of security forces, tension is still high in
the area with over 700 houses torched and residents living in fear of more
attacks.
"Several families have lost their loved ones and many have been injured and are
nursing bullet wounds, and burns from the clashes," said Mwangi.
There is also a looming starvation since the attackers burnt crops forcing the
displaced people into destitution. "Some men venture back to their former farms
during the day to harvest, and in the process some are injured or killed," he
explained.
Separately, religious leaders led by Anglican Church of Kenya Bishops, Stephen
Kewasis, Thomas Kogo and Rev Maritim Rirei accused the Government of blocking
humanitarian assistance from being delivered to the displaced people.
"We as church leaders have been denied our God given task to comfort, counsel
and provide trauma healing to the victims of heinous acts perpetrated by the
police," said Kewasis.
They said it was common knowledge that even during the worst crisis, church
leaders are allowed to access the affected areas and wondered why the
Government had barred the clergy from Mt Elgon.
"We have information that human rights abuses perpetrated by the police
continue unabated and it is time this is put to a stop," he said.
They further said they were being intimidated over their continued criticism of
the violation of human rights and appealed to the International community to
visit the district.


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