Gilgil Sub County Commissioner Kamau Karungo has asked residents to use appropriate channels to seek dialogue to issues facing them instead of resulting to violence and use of force.
Speaking at his office on Saturday, the commissioner said that the public has a right to be heard but they should employ appropriate measures. He said that no one will be denied right to speak and seek leader’s attention but said it must be exercised reasonably.
“We know that locals have the right to seek dialogue from their leaders on issues affecting them, but they should not do it violently,” he said.
The commissioner warned that action will be taken against anyone who employs violence and force while seeking audience. He said that law must be followed to the latter and that the public should desist from violent acts.
The commissioner spoke after a group of Internally Displace Persons (IDPs) forcefully stormed his office on Friday on claims that they had been denied relief food.
The IDPs claimed that the sub county had denied them relief food and was allegedly selling it to other members of the public.
The commissioner refuted the claims saying that relief food donated by the government was not for IDPs.
“We only received 500 bags of rice which was meant for the vulnerable groups and the elder and not for the IDPs,” he added.
The more than 200 victims of the 2007-2008 post poll skirmishes from five IDP camps in Gilgil stormed the offices disrupting activities.
The IDPs Group leader Beatrice Kaara told journalists that they heard that relief food was brought to the sub county offices but they have not received it.
“We have information that the sub county received relief food meant for us one week ago but no one has contacted us,” she said.
The IDPs accused the government of neglecting them saying others have been compensated and resettled yet no one seems interested in their plight.
The angry IDPs were later forced out of the premises by Administration Police Officers who threatened to lobby teargas on them. They now want area MP to take their grievances to the county and the national government.