One of the displaced families at the Itare dam in temporal camp. The families are stranded after they were ordered to pull down their temporal structures they erected near the dam area. [Photo:standardmedia]
Families that were evicted from Itare dam site have found themselves stranded after they were ordered to pull down their temporal structures they erected near the dam, as the construction of the multi-billion shilling dam gets in top gear.
1,200 families have been living in a camp after their houses were demolished in March this year.The families have been ordered to move away without any resettlement plan in place. Simeon Kipkurui, the chairman of the camp said they were told to move out since the contractors are planning to blow up rocks in the dam area. "We were asked to move away temporarily but we have no place to go for even a day," Kipkurui said. He added that they are afraid of the directive since they may be driven away and the plans to be resettled ignored."We have told the contractors that we will move away during the day and come back in the evening once contractors have retired," he said. Rift Valley water services board Japhet Mutai denied that the families will be driven away saying the move is only meant to ensure their safety.